If You Have Diabetes, Your Risk for Glaucoma May Be Higher

In one of the American study they estimated 3 million Americans have glaucoma, which can stealthily cause vision loss even before people realize they have the disease. People with diabetes face special risks from glaucoma. This January during Glaucoma Awareness Month, through its EyeSmart (TM) campaign, the American Academy of Ophthalmology in partnership with the American Glaucoma Society and the Glaucoma Research Foundation, remind Americans that knowing your glaucoma risks can save your sight and that people with diabetes need to be extra-vigilant.

Both diabetes and glaucoma are leading causes of blindness. In their early stages these diseases often have few symptoms, so damage may occur before people know they need treatment. Several large studies suggest that people with diabetes are more likely to develop glaucoma, and other data shows that glaucoma patients who are diabetic are more likely to suffer vision damage. If caught early, diabetes and glaucoma can usually be managed and vision can be saved.

About Glaucoma: Glaucoma damages the optic nerve that transmits images from the eye to the brain. As glaucoma worsens, cells also die in the retina -- a special, light-sensitive area of the eye -- which further reduces the optic nerve's function. In the most common form of the disease, primary open-angle glaucoma, often a patient first notices that her peripheral vision is reduced, then that other areas of her visual field are blank. But in many people glaucoma-related vision changes are so gradual that they go unnoticed, which is why regular eye exams are so important. Symptoms of the less common but more immediately dangerous closed-angle glaucoma include blurred vision, severe eye pain and headache, rainbow-colored halos around lights, and nausea and vomiting. Anyone with these symptoms needs to be seen by an Eye M.D. right away.

The Reason why Diabetics Suffer Bluriness and Dizziness

When glucose levels are too high in the body, the result would be a chemical imbalance in the body. There would be deep emotional pain, depression or stress felt by the individual as the liver and pancreas lose control of the amount of glucose in the body. This can also result in dizziness and later on unconsciousness. When glucose levels are too low, because of an oversupply of insulin, the individual experiences fatigue, weakness, hunger, heavy perspiration and anger. Here dizziness also occurs, as the body is unable to provide the necessary energy for its normal processes. Diabetes also slowly causes degeneration of the eye function. This is called diabetic retinopathy. This is the result of the degeneration of the retinal nerves of the eyes. Also, the blood vessels towards the eyes burst because of the thickened character of the blood because of the oversupply of glucose. Diabetes affects the liver functions. With the oversupply of glucose in the bloodstream, the liver works double time to keep the balance. Thus a sudden increase or spike in the blood glucose levels affects the retina and this causes blurred vision. The repeated blurring of the vision is a portent of further damage to the eyes due to diabetes. Diabetes causes problems to the cardiovascular system. The veins towards the heart are clogged because of the thickened blood and the smaller veins because of the diabetes. This means the blood rich with oxygen cannot travel fast and properly throughout the body, leading to a form of dizziness for the individual.

Dizziness and Blurred Vision

Dizziness relates to the body’s equilibrium and this is highly dependent upon the body’s central nervous system. This together with the inner ears, eyes and sensory receptors in the skin, muscles and joints add up all the necessary information for the proper sense of balance of the body. Diabetes affects the nervous system of the body by cellular degeneration. The incomplete information makes the individual dizzy during bouts of high glucose levels. Blurred vision is one of the early symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. The retinal nerve of the eyes degenerate slowly because of the inadequate supply of nutrients to the eyes and the cellular decay caused by the cell’s inability to process glucose. Also, the blood vessels of the eyes also degenerate because of the thickening of the walls of the veins and the overall increase in viscosity of the blood. These are the effects of the body’s inability to produce insulin for the proper management of glucose in the body. Dizziness and blurred vision are symptoms of both short term and long term blood glucose problems leading to diabetes. These two symptoms are a result of hyperglycemia, which is one of the general consequences of diabetes. This is a result of having too little or inadequate insulin in the body. Another cause is despite the presence of insulin, the body is unable to metabolize the hormone. If you experience blurriness in vision at any given time especially after a meal, it would mean that there is too much glucose in the bloodstream. Conversely, there is too little insulin present to regulate this problem as the liver goes on overdrive to process the extra glucose. This can be easily remedied by taking insulin intravenously or antidiabetes medication. On the other hand, if you experience dizziness when you stand up, difficulty in breathing or even sudden unconsciousness, you have been carrying a very high glucose level for quite sometime. This is a very dangerous situation because the liver and pancreas has been unable to regulate the amount of glucose in the body and the major organs are already feeling the crush of diabetes.

Diabetes and Foot Problems

Introduction:
For people with diabetes, having too much glucose (sugar) in their blood for a long time can cause some serious complications, including foot problems.

How Can Diabetes Affect My Feet?
Diabetes can cause two problems that can affect your feet.

Diabetic neuropathy
Uncontrolled diabetes can damage your nerves. If you have damaged nerves in your legs and feet, you might not feel heat, cold, or pain. This lack of feeling is called "sensory diabetic neuropathy." If you do not feel a cut or sore on your foot because of neuropathy, the cut could get worse and become infected. The muscles of the foot may not function properly because the nerves that make the muscles work are damaged. This could cause the foot to not align properly and create too much pressure in one area of the foot. It is estimated that up to 10% of people will develop foot ulcers. Foot ulcers occur because of nerve damage and peripheral vascular disease.

Peripheral vascular disease
Diabetes also affects the flow of blood. Without good blood flow, it takes longer for a sore or cut to heal. Poor blood flow in the arms and legs is called "peripheral vascular disease." Peripheral vascular disease is a circulation disorder that affects blood vessels away from the heart. If you have an infection that will not heal because of poor blood flow, you are at risk for developing ulcers or gangrene (the death of tissue due to a lack of blood).

What Are Some Common Foot Problems of People With Diabetes?
Anyone can get the foot problems listed below. For people with diabetes, however, these common foot problems can possibly lead to infection and serious complications, such as amputation.
Athlete's foot, Fungal infection of nails, Calluses, Fungal infection of nails, Foot ulcers, Hammertoes, Ingrown toenails, Plantar warts.

Can These Foot Problems Be Prevented?
Proper foot care can help prevent these common foot problems and/or treat them before they cause serious complications. Here are some tips for good foot care:
1. Take care of yourself and your diabetes. Follow your health care provider's advice regarding nutrition, exercise, and medication. Keep your blood glucose level within the range recommended by your doctor.
2. Wash your feet in warm water every day, using a mild soap. Do not soak your feet. Dry your feet well, especially between the toes.
3. Check your feet every day for sores, blisters, redness, calluses, or any of the other problems listed above. If you have poor blood flow, it is especially important to do a daily foot check.
4. If the skin on your feet is dry, keep it moist by applying lotion after you wash and dry your feet. Do not put lotion between your toes. Your doctor can tell you which type of lotion is best to use.
5. Gently smooth corns and calluses with an emery board or pumice stone. Do this after your bath or shower, when your skin is soft. Move the emery board in only one direction.
6. Check your toenails once a week. Trim your toenails with a nail clipper straight across. Do not round off the corners of toenails or cut down on the sides of the nails. After clipping, smooth the toenails with an emery board.
7. Always wear closed-toed shoes or slippers. Do not wear sandals and do not walk barefoot, even around the house.
8. Always wear socks or stockings. Wear socks or stockings that fit your feet well and have soft elastic.
9. Wear shoes that fit well. Buy shoes made of canvas or leather and break them in slowly. Extra wide shoes are also available in specialty stores that will allow for more room for the foot for people with foot deformities.
10. Protect your feet from heat and cold. Wear shoes at the beach or on hot pavement. Wear socks at night if your feet get cold.
11. Keep the blood flowing to your feet. Put your feet up when sitting, wiggle your toes and move your ankles several times a day, and don't cross your legs for long periods of time.
12. If you smoke, stop. Smoking can make blood flow problems worse.
13. If you have a foot problem that gets worse or won't heal, contact your doctor for advice and treatment.
14. Make sure your diabetes doctor examines your feet during each check-up. An annual foot exam should be performed which should include an inspection of the skin -- he or she may check for redness or warm of the skin. The exam will also be to check for pulses and temperature of your feet and an assessment of sensation to the foot with something called a monofilament.
15. See your podiatrist (foot doctor) every two to three months for check-ups, even if you don't have any foot problems.

When Should I Contact My Doctor?
Contact your doctor if you experience any of the following problems:
Changes in skin color.
Changes in skin temperature.
Swelling in the foot or ankle.
Pain in the legs.
Open sores on the feet that are slow to heal or are draining.
Ingrown toenails or toenails infected with fungus.
Corns or calluses.
Dry cracks in the skin, especially around the heel.
Unusual and/or persistent foot odor