Diabetes and eye health

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Diabetic eye disease (also called diabetic retinopathy) is a serious problem that can lead to loss of sight. There’s a lot you can do to take charge and prevent such problems. A recent study shows that keeping your blood glucose level closer to normal can prevent or delay the onset of diabetic eye disease. Keeping your blood pressure under control is also important. Finding and treating eye problems early can help save sight.

Signs of Diabetic Eye Disease

Because diabetic eye disease may be developing even when your sight is good, regular dilated eye exams are important for finding problems early. Some people may notice signs of vision changes. If you’re having trouble reading, if your vision is blurred, or if you’re seeing rings around lights, dark spots, or flashing lights, you may have eye problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare team or eye doctor about any eye problems you may have.

Protecting Your Sight

Keep Your Blood Glucose under Control

High blood glucose can damage your eyes with time. Work with your health care team to keep your blood glucose levels in the target range.

Keep Your Blood Pressure under Control

High blood pressure can damage your eyes. Have your health care provider check your blood pressure at least 4 times a year. If your blood pressure is higher than 130/80, ask your health care provider how to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. You may need medicine to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

Even if you’re seeing fine, you need regular, complete dilated eye exams to protect your sight. Ask your health care provider to help you find an eye doctor who cares for people with diabetes. Before the exam, a doctor or nurse will put drops in your eyes to dilate the pupils.

You should have your eyes dilated and examined once a year. Keep track of these exams by using the records. Even if you’ve lost your sight from diabetic eye disease, you still need to have regular eye care. If you haven’t already had a complete eye exam, you should have one now if any of these conditions apply to you—

  • You’ve had type 1 diabetes for 5 or more year.
  • You have type 2 diabetes.
  • You’re going through puberty and you have diabetes.
  • You’re pregnant and you have diabetes.
  • You’re planning to become pregnant and you have diabetes.

If you can’t afford an eye exam, ask about a payment plan or a free exam. If you’re 65 or older, Medicare may pay for diabetic eye exams (but not glasses). Ask your eye doctor to accept the Medicare fee as full payment.

Discuss Your Physical Activity Plan

If you have diabetic eye disease, talk with your health care provider about the kind of physical activity that is best for you.

Treating Diabetic Eye Disease

Treating eye problems early can help save sight. Laser surgery may help people who have advanced diabetic eye disease. An operation called a vitrectomy may help those who have lost their sight from bleeding in the back of the eye.

If your sight is poor, an eye doctor who is an expert in low vision may be able to give you glasses or other devices that can help you use your limited vision more fully. You may want to ask your health care provider about support groups and job training for people with poor vision.

Self-care plan

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Many people avoid the long-term problems of diabetes by taking good care of themselves. Work with your health care team to reach your goals:

  • Use your diabetes meal plan. If you do not have one, ask your health care team about one.
    • Make healthy food choices such as fruits and vegetables, fish, lean meats, chicken or turkey without the skin, dry peas or beans, whole grains, and low-fat or skim milk and cheese.
    • Keep fish and lean meat and poultry portion to about 3 ounces (or the size of a deck of cards). Bake, broil, or grill it.
    • Eat foods that have less fat and salt.
    • Eat foods with more fiber such as whole grains cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta.
  • Get 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Brisk walking is a great way to move more.
  • Stay at a healthy weight by using your meal plan and moving more.
  • Ask for help if you feel down. A mental health counselor, support group, member of the clergy, friend, or family member who will listen to your concerns may help you feel better.
  • Learn to cope with stress. Stress can raise your blood glucose (blood sugar). While it is hard to remove stress from your life, you can learn to handle it.
  • Stop smoking. Ask for help to quit.
  • Take medicines even when you feel good. Ask your doctor if you need aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke. Tell your doctor if you cannot afford your medicines or if you have any side effects.
  • Check your feet every day for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling. Call your health care team right away about any sores that do not go away.
  • Brush your teeth and floss every day to avoid problems with your mouth, teeth, or gums
  • Check your blood glucose (blood sugar). You may want to test it one or more times a day. Use the card at the back of this booklet to keep a record of your blood glucose numbers. Be sure to take this record to your doctor visits.
  • Check your blood pressure if your doctor advises.
  • Report any changes in your eyesight to your doctor.

Actions you could take:

  • Talk with your health care team about your blood glucose targets. Ask how and when to test your blood glucose and how to use the results to manage your diabetes.
  • Discuss how your self-care plan is working for you each time you visit your health care team.

Know Your Diabetes ABCs – A1C, Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

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Talk to your healthcare team about how to manage your A1C (blood glucose or sugar), Blood pressure, and Cholesterol. This will help lower your chances of having a heart attack, a stroke, or other diabetes problems. Here’s what the ABCs of diabetes stand for:

A for the A1C test

The A1C Test shows you what your blood glucose has been over the last three months. The A1C goal for many people is below 7. High blood glucose levels can harm your heart and blood vessels, kidneys, feet, and eyes.

B for Blood pressure.

The blood pressure goal for most people with diabetes is below 140/90. It may be different for you. Ask what your goal should be.

High blood pressure makes your heart work too hard. It can cause heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.

C for Cholesterol.

Ask what your cholesterol numbers should be.

LDL or “bad” cholesterol can build up and clog your blood vessels. It can cause a heart attack or a stroke. HDL or “good” cholesterol helps remove cholesterol from your blood vessels.

Actions you could take:

  • Ask your health care team:
    • What your A1C, blood pressure, and Cholesterol numbers are
    • What should your ABC numbers be
    • What you can do to reach your targets

Diabetes and heart health

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To protect your heart and blood vessels, eat right, get physical activity, don’t smoke, and maintain healthy blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Choose a healthy diet, low in salt. Work with a dietitian to plan healthy meals. If you’re overweight, talk about how to safely lose weight. Ask about a physical activity or exercise program. Quit smoking if you currently do. Get a hemoglobin A1C test at least twice a year to determine what your average blood glucose level was for the past 2 to 3 months. Get your blood pressure checked at every doctor’s visit, and get your cholesterol checked at least once a year. Take medications if prescribed by your doctor.

Why do I need to know my blood sugar numbers?

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Your blood sugar numbers show how well your diabetes is managed. And managing your diabetes means that you have less chance of having serious health problems, such as kidney disease and vision loss.

As you check your blood sugar, you can see what makes your numbers go up and down. For example, you may see that when you are stressed or eat certain foods, your numbers go up. And, you may see that when you take your medicine and are active, your numbers go down. This information lets you know what is working for you and what needs to change.

How is blood sugar measured?

There are two ways to measure blood sugar.

Blood sugar checks that you do yourself. These tell you what your blood sugar level is at the time you test.

The A1C (A-one-C) is a test done in a lab or at your provider’s office. This test tells you your average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months.

How do I check my blood sugar?

You use a blood glucose meter to check your blood sugar. This device uses a small drop of blood from your finger to measure your blood sugar level. You can get the meter and supplies in a drugstore or by mail.

What are target blood sugar levels for people with diabetes?

A target is something that you aim for or try to reach. Your health care team may also use the term goal. People with diabetes have blood sugar targets that they try to reach at different times of the day. These targets are:

Right before your meal: 80 to 130

Two hours after the start of the meal: Below 180

Talk with your health care team about what blood sugar numbers are right for you.

How often should I check my blood sugar?

The number of times that you check your blood sugar will depend on the type of diabetes that you have and the type of medicine you take to treat your diabetes. For example, people who take insulin may need to check more often than people who do not take insulin.

The common times for checking your blood sugar are when you first wake up (fasting), before a meal, 2 hours after a meal, and at bedtime. Talk with your health care team about what times are best for you to check your blood sugar.

What should I do if my blood sugar gets too high?

High blood sugar is also called hyperglycemia (pronounced hye-per-gly-see-mee-uh). It means that your blood sugar level is higher than your target level or over 180. Having high blood sugar levels over time can lead to long-term, serious health problems.

If you feel very tired, thirsty, have blurry vision, or need to pee more often, your blood sugar may be high.

Call your health care team if your blood sugar is high more than 3 times in 2 weeks and you don’t know why.

What should I do if my blood sugar gets too low?

Low blood sugar is also called hypoglycemia (pronounced hye-poh-gly-see-mee-uh). It means your blood sugar level drops below 70. Having low blood sugar is dangerous and needs to be treated right away. Anyone with diabetes can have low blood sugar. You have a greater chance of having low blood sugar if you take insulin or certain pills for diabetes.

Carry supplies for treating low blood sugar with you. If you feel shaky, sweaty, or very hungry, check your blood sugar. Even if you feel none of these things, but think you may have low blood sugar, check it.

If your meter shows that your blood sugar is lower than 70, do one of the following things right away:

  • chew 4 glucose tablets
  • drink 4 ounces of fruit juice
  • drink 4 ounces of regular soda, not diet soda or
  • chew 4 pieces of hard candy

After taking one of these treatments, wait for 15 minutes, then check your blood sugar again. Repeat these steps until your blood sugar is 70 or above. After your blood sugar gets back up to 70 or more, eat a snack if your next meal is 1 hour or more away.

If you often have low blood sugar, check your blood sugar before driving and treat it if it is low.

What do I need to know about the A1C test?

The A1C test tells you and your healthcare team your average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months. It also helps you and your team decide the type and amount of diabetes medicine you need.

What is a good A1C goal for me?

For many people with diabetes, the A1C goal is below 7. This number is different from the blood sugar numbers that you check each day. You and your healthcare team will decide on an A1C goal that is right for you.

How often do I need an A1C test?

You need to get an A1C test at least 2 times a year. You need it more often if:

  • your number is higher than your goal number
  • your diabetes treatment changes

What if I have trouble getting to my blood sugar goals?

There may be times when you have trouble reaching your blood sugar goals. This does not mean that you have failed. It means that you and your health care team should see if changes are needed. Call your health care team if your blood sugar is often too high or too low. Taking action will help you be healthy today and in the future.

How to help a loved one cope with diabetes

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When people have the support of their family and friends, they are able to better manage their diabetes. It is a hard disease to handle alone. You can help your loved one cope with diabetes by showing your support.

Learn about diabetes.

There is a lot to learn about how people can live well with diabetes. Use what you learn to help your loved one manage his or her diabetes.

  • Helping a loved one cope with diabetes begins with talking.
  • Ask your loved one to teach you about how he or she is managing diabetes.
  • Join a support group – in person or online – about living with diabetes. Check with your hospital or area health clinic to find one.
  • Read about diabetes online.
  • Ask your loved one’s health care team how you can learn more about managing diabetes.
  • Ask your loved one about coping with diabetes and how you can help.

Here are sample questions:

  • Do you ever feel down or overwhelmed about all you have to do to manage your diabetes?
  • Have you set goals to manage your diabetes?
  • What things seem to get in the way of reaching your goals?
  • What can I do to help? (Example: Are there things I can do to make it easier for you to live with diabetes? If you want to be more active, will it help if we take walks together?)
  • Have you talked to your health care team about your diabetes care and how you want to reach your goals?

How you can help.

Try some of these tips to help your loved one.

  • Find ways to help your loved one manage the stress of living with diabetes. Being a good listener is often the most important thing you can do to help.
  • Ask your loved one if he or she would like reminders about doctor visits, when to check blood sugar, and when to take medicine.
  • Help your loved one write a list of questions for the health care team.
  • Eat well. Help your loved one make meals that include foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
  • Find things you can do together such as walking, dancing, or gardening. Being active is a great way to handle stress.
  • Walking together daily gives you time to talk and stay active.
  • Cut back on sweets by serving fresh fruit for dessert.
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-communication-programs/ndep/ndep-health-topics/help-cope-diabetes/Pages/publicationdetail.aspx

Diabetes symptoms

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Individuals can experience different signs and symptoms of diabetes, and sometimes there may be no signs. Some of the signs commonly experienced include:

  • Frequent urination
  • Excessive thirst
  • Increased hunger
  • Weight loss
  • Tiredness
  • Lack of interest and concentration
  • A tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet
  • Blurred vision
  • Frequent infections
  • Slow-healing wounds
  • Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu)
Type 1 diabetes symptoms

The development of type 1 diabetes is usually sudden and dramatic while the symptoms can often be mild or absent in people with type 2 diabetes, making this type of diabetes hard to detect.

Source: http://www.idf.org/signs-and-symptoms-diabetes

What is diabetes? 

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A group of diseases that result in too much sugar in the blood (high blood glucose). Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should.

Most common types

Type 2 diabetes

A chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose). Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90 percent to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity.

Treatment for Type 2 diabetes

Treatment typically includes diet control, exercise, home blood glucose testing, and in some cases, oral medication and/or insulin. Approximately 40 percent of people with type 2 diabetes require insulin injections.

Type 1 diabetes

A chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Risk factors are less well defined for Type 1 diabetes than for Type 2 diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved in the development of this type of diabetes.

Treatment for Type 1 diabetes

Patients with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin injections for the rest of their life. They must also ensure proper blood-glucose levels by carrying out regular blood tests and following a special diet.

Prediabetes

A condition in which blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes. The cells in the body are becoming resistant to insulin. Studies have indicated that even at the prediabetes stage, some damage to the circulatory system and the heart may already have occurred.

Gestational diabetes

A form of high blood sugar affecting pregnant women. Undiagnosed or uncontrolled gestational diabetes can raise the risk of complications during childbirth.

 Other types of Diabetes: 

LADA

LADA tends to develop more slowly than type 1 diabetes in childhood and, because LADA can sometimes appear similar to type 2 diabetes, doctors may mistakenly diagnose LADA as type 2 diabetes. It shows many of the genetic, immune, and metabolic features of Type 1 diabetes, and carries a high risk of progression to insulin dependency. This form of the condition is known as ‘latent autoimmune diabetes in adults’ (LADA). It is found in about 10% of initially non-insulin-requiring people with diabetes and is therefore probably more prevalent than Type 1 diabetes.

MODY

MODY is a rare form of diabetes which is different from both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and runs strongly in families. MODY is caused by a mutation (or change) in a single gene. If a parent has this gene mutation, any child they have, has a 50% chance of inheriting it from them. If a child does inherit the mutation they will generally go on to develop MODY before they’re 25, whatever their weight, lifestyle, ethnic group, etc.

Monogenic diabetes

Monogenic diabetes is a rare type of diabetes that’s caused by a single gene mutation.

Chronic Pancreatitis-associated Diabetes

Chronic pancreatitis-associated diabetes is caused by chronic pancreatitis, a prolonged inflammation of the pancreas, which causes extensive damage to exocrine tissue.

TuDiabetes Talks Episode 2 – Arshad Khanani, Retinopathy Specialist

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The guest on the TuDiabetes Talks Episode this week is Dr. Arshad Khanani.

Arshad Khanani, M.D. is a fellowship trained vitreoretinal specialist and is certified by The American Board of Ophthalmology. He graduated magna cum laude in chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. While at Washington University, Dr. Khanani was honored with The Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Award.

Dr. Khanani then returned home to Texas and obtained his medical degree at Texas Tech School of Medicine where he received several prestigious research awards. After finishing his internship at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Khanani completed his residency in Ophthalmology at Texas Tech School of Medicine. During his residency, he was unanimously elected as Chief Resident.

Dr. Khanani attended The University of Texas – Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas for a two-year fellowship in the medical and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal diseases.

Due to his strong interest in clinical research, Dr. Khanani has served as a principal investigator for several clinical trials. His articles have been published in numerous ophthalmology journals. Dr. Khanani has also presented his work at major ophthalmology meetings worldwide and has been invited multiple times as a guest speaker nationally and internationally.

TuDiabetes Talks with DiabetesSisters CEO Anna Norton and Karen Graffeo! 5pm PT

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Join us HERE at the time and date of the event

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Meet DiabetesSisters CEO Anna Norton!

Hi, I’m Anna Norton and I am the CEO of DiabetesSisters. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1993 and manage the disease with an insulin pump (since 2000) and CGM (since 2010). I’ve been involved with DiabetesSisters since 2011, serving as a committee member for the Weekend for Women Conference. In 2012, I joined the DiabetesSisters staff as Operations Manager, overseeing the National PODS Meetup Program, the National Weekend for Women Conference Series, website development, and many of the daily functions of the organization. Today, I am honored to serve women with diabetes in the CEO role.

I currently reside outside of Chicago, Illinois and have lived in North Carolina, New Jersey and Florida. I am a proud graduate of the University of Florida (BS 1998) and Florida International University (MS 1999). I’ve spent many years in the non-profit world, raising funds for United Way, medical centers and universities, with over 15 years’ experience in Annual Giving, Major Gifts, and Event Planning. I am also bilingual in English and Spanish.

As a woman with diabetes, I am passionate about the work DiabetesSisters does – when I learned of this organization, I was eager to become involved and help make a difference in the lives of other women like me. Over the last several years, I have forged great friendships through this organization and have established a wonderful support group. My hope is to continue to learn from the experiences of each Sister and hopefully, offer some of my own experiences.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and son. I also love reading, traveling to Disney World, Zumba, water aerobics, and going to the movies. Please reach out to me at anna@diabetessisters.org – I’m looking forward to getting to know you!

WHO WE ARE DiabetesSisters was founded in January 2008 by a woman who was diagnosed with diabetes as a teenager in the early 1990s. In addition to being faced with many obstacles, including social isolation, she was amazed how little information about or services for women with diabetes were available and how the issue seemed invisible within the women’s health community. Her high-risk pregnancy further illuminated the limited number of resources available to women with diabetes during important life stages, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. All of her experiences culminated in the formation of DiabetesSisters in January 2008.

WHAT WE DO DiabetesSisters offers a range of education and support services to help women of all ages with all types of diabetes live healthier, fuller lives. We understand the fear and isolation that often comes with living with diabetes because we are an organization that is managed by women who are living with diabetes.

DiabetesSisters recognizes that emotional and peer support is vitally important to a woman’s overall wellbeing. Through DiabetesSisters’ education and support services, women form a special bond and can freely share information, helpful tips, and stories of hope.

https://diabetessisters.org/

See more of the impact of DiabetesSisters here.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-9FdkinaVE

TuDiabetes Talks with Diabetes Hands Foundation Team Members Allyson Schloming and Mandy Jones!

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Mandy Jones

mandy

Director of Advocacy

Diabetes Hands Foundation | Berkeley, CA
Contact Information:

mandy@diabeteshf.org
DiabetesAdvocates.org
Twitter: @D_Advocates
Linkedin

Mandy Jones was a senior at U.C. Berkeley when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Her adult diagnosis was a steep learning curve accompanied by fear, loneliness, and waves of anxiety. In addition to becoming a 24/7 nurse, she realized she had to become her own healthcare advocate, insurance specialist, scientific researcher… not to mention anxiety reduction specialist!

But searching for solutions in a confusing healthcare world quickly ignited a passion. Over the next few years, Mandy volunteered as a Youth Advisory Board Member at UCSF’s Madison Clinic for Diabetes, began hosting adult support happy hours in Los Angeles, mentored newly-diagnosed patients, and wrote a comprehensive appeal to change an insurance policy. She worked as an environmental planner and co-founded an organization that offers pro bono consulting to environmental and public health non-profits. In 2015, Mandy began creating T1Decoded, an online educational source to help other patients navigate a type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Her mission is to help all patients thrive amidst a chronic disease diagnosis.

Mandy is excited to ignite the Diabetes Advocates program and create positive change in the diabetes space. She believes that advocacy can happen at any age, in any geography, in any language, and in any form. Advocacy can be as quick as a conversation with our doctor, or as complex as an international policy change. By identifying the causes that speak to us, equipping ourselves with effective tools, and learning from other disciplines, we can create positive change for ourselves, for our local communities, or even internationally.

Mandy is inspired by Deepak Chopra (7 Spiritual Laws of Success), Brené Brown (The Power of Vulnerability), Tim Brown (IDEO: Design Thinking), and Joyce Lee (Doctor as Designer). Mandy’s favorite adventure to date has been bike touring the coast of California (seeing breathtaking coastline via two wheels made the low blood sugars preparations 110% worth it!)

Allyson Schlomingallyson-768x512

Director of Development

Diabetes Hands Foundation | Berkeley, CA

Contact Information:
allyson@diabeteshf.org
Allyson brings with her over 18 years in non-profit management experience, raising funds for advocacy, research and education for the diabetes community. Her son, Kyle at the age of nine was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and has made diabetes her passion to improve the lives of all those touched by diabetes.

At the Diabetes Hands Foundation, Allyson is responsible for the implementation of the fund development strategy and is deeply involved in the identification and nurturing of strategic partnerships.

Allyson is a native Californian. She resides in Livermore with her daughter, Katy who is a senior in high school.

In her spare time, Allyson enjoys bike riding, taking walks on the beach or reading historical fiction novel.

TuDiabetes Talks with Manny Hernandez and Emily Coles!

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Join us live as we sit down and visit with Manny Hernandez, founder of Diabetes Hands Foundation and Emily Coles, previous community manager at TuDiabetes to chat about what they have been up to! This “Home for the Holidays” episode is sure to be heart warming, informative and inspiring…