Diabetes and eyes.

[daniel lawecki]

Well to all with diabetes take care of your self. Last January eyes were fine start of cataracts. But the other day left eye sore that was Monday. Fast forward to today Macular Edema w/ hemorrhage right eye 20/25 left eye 20/100. Next app Monday then Laser Surgery so follow your doctors advice.

 

[Doug M.]

I'm diabetic (type 2). My vision was already awful. Any changes in acuity are consistent with increasing age, and my eye doc has found no sign of anything consistent with diabetic damage.

Sadly, from what I have learned from my endocrinologist, most diabetic patients are not compliant with diet and exercise practices that are vital to life and quality of life. I'm still a little too prone to certain foods not consistent with a lower carb diet, but I do exercise, and HARD. I am past the point after diagnosis at which most people start having increased symptoms and problems, but have not gone that way. Doctor says I am in a very small percentage and best guess is that my lifestyle makes a big difference. No insulin, just metformin.

I try to get enough sleep (8 hours minimum per night); do 3-4 hours of hard cardio (40+ minutes per session, at > than 85% predicted max heart rate) per week (mostly exercise bike, but I am trying to start running again), and two days of relatively heavy weight lifting. I'm back down under 220 most of the time (6'1, 50 coat and 38 trousers that are loose at the waist to give me room for my thighs)) and want to get under 210. This is not a program one can start at 49 (age at diagnosis); one has to live that way consistently. Since it is kind of hard to predict when your pancreas will show whatever genetic curses you have, one needs to live as if it will fail on you all of your life.

 

[American1776]

My dad had the surgery several years ago. He can see again very well now. He too is diabetic.

 

[Golddollar]

Diabetes is nasty stuff. It's more than just your eyes. The genetics worked against me and at about age 61 I crossed the line from pre-diabetes to full diabetes. But now I'm watching what I eat, take my medication and am getting back into walking which I got away from because of my knee surgery. One of my maternal aunts had all the classic complications of Type 2 diabetes. I decided the prospect of blindness, amputation and death was sufficient incentive to take care of myself.

 

[URIT]

I did a lot of research online when I began exhibiting prediabetic symptoms. I learned that I needed to change my dietary strategy from what was promoted by the USDA food pyramid and the AMA to another the Swedish people are following - namely, the Low Carb High Fat diet. This strategy had me avoiding or limiting sugary and starchy foods and beverages along with processed products to reduce my daily carb intake. I'm happy to report that I no longer have diabetes Sx and my diet also positively adjusted other health factors so I no longer take any heart meds from my stent implantation. I'm healthier at 71 than I was at 51.

 

[hemiram]

I'm lucky, my sugar is "amazing", according to my docs. I'm overweight as hell, but it looks like mom's true hypoglycemia has saved me. My friends aren't so lucky. A lot of them are type 2 and one is a type 1. They've all had eye problems, but one of the guys with T2 has endless eye problems along with a ton of other issues, both diabetes and non-diabetes related. At 58, he doesn't see well at all. He's very delicate in general. He has a couple of stents, has the nerve pain in his feet, can't eat a huge number of things without pain, cramps, or the trots. He ate 3 pieces of fried fish a couple of weeks ago, normally, he can handle two, but three pushed him into a night of cramps and a lot of time on the toilet. I could eat a dozen pieces without a thought of anything.
He has a lot of "Ologists" he goes to the doctor's constantly, like every week, and I feel bad for him. He also looks much older than he is. It appears all his siblings were T2 diabetics by the time they hit 50, and all but one of them has had heart issues. Bad Irish genes, I guess. My mom's Irish side was apparently squashed by her French side, and it seems like the only thing my dad gave me was the damn gout. With Allopurinol, it's basically just a bad memory. A real bad one.

 

[rwsmith]

I'm so lucky...

After my heart surgery I'm taking a miniscule amount of insulin compared to what I was taking before I think that my metabolism improved or something similar. I've had diabetes going on 40 years. Somehow, my eyes have avoided retinal damage. Another problem spot is the kidneys. I don't know if diabetes affects cataracts, but it messes about everything else.

 

[NYlakesider]

I have diabetes and had cataracts removed from both eyes 6 years ago.

I see that eye doctor/surgeon once a year and he does what he calls a "serious diabetic looksee" at every visit.


My GP doctor also looks at eyes quite closely at every visit, in my case every 3 months.

A little thing I have noticed is people that are diabetic and overweight and have Bariatric surgery the majority of them it drastically helps out. The Docs do not understand exactly why but in many people it happens. It starts showing fairly soon after the surgery!

 

[GaryS]

Diet and exercise. Exercise and diet. Diet and exercise. Exercise and diet.

I have an excellent relationship with my doctor. He referred me to a study being done by the Mass. General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. It's a diet study to see what rule, if any, group dynamics play in weight loss.

Anyway, the key components are limiting calories and fat. They don't dwell on carbohydrates per se, but we do spend some time talking about "good" versus "bad" carbs in the context of calories and fat.

We also spend a lot of time talking about exercise. Since I work out about an hour a day 6-7 days a week, I'm ahead of the rest of the group in that regard. You don't need to do that much, but the recommendation is for 170 minutes per week of exercise.

I started on the diet in April and as of last week, I've lost 27 pounds. My A1C went from 6.7 to 5.5. My BP has dropped, my cholesterol numbers have improved.

My eye doctor is also a great guy. I saw him in August and he did the usual "diabetic eye exam." All is well. Retina is fine, start of a cataract, but he says it will be several years before it needs attention. OTOH, my wife just had both eyes done and she isn't a diabetic.

One of the things we do in the study is count calories and grams of fat. During the weight loss phase, I at 1,200-1,500 calories a day, although I was usually around 1,100. I was at 40 grams of fat a day, but usually was around 25-30. Now, I can eat a bit more, but I'm still below my allowance most days.

When I started the study, I was skeptical that I'd be able to get my A1C below six, but the coordinator told me that I'd be able to do that if I kept on the program.

My mother died from complications of Diabetes, but never had eye problems.

I could go on about this, but it really does come down to "diet and exercise."

 

[daniel lawecki]

Off to the eye guru at 11:00 today hole in cornea.

 

[Doug M.]

I'm big and active, and lose weight at 2K calories/day assuming normal exercise levels. That low and uncomfortable for me. That aside, the normal US diet and exercise levels are just flat out unhealthy.