Health Charity warns of risk of sight loss due to undiagnosed Diabetes
November marks Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of the serious risks posed by undiagnosed diabetes and its potential impact on sight.
Figures from Diabetes UK Northern Ireland show that almost 118,000 people in Northern Ireland are living with diabetes.
And this number continues to rise. With this increase comes a greater risk of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of sight loss among people of working age.
Davy’s Story: “I ignored the symptoms for months,” says Davy, who was 55 when he experienced significant sight loss. “I was very tired, always thirsty, always needing to go to the toilet, and had lost a fair amount of weight.
“My wife thought something was wrong, but it was only after my eyesight kept getting dimmer and dimmer that I went to get checked.
“The optician asked if I was diabetic, and said I needed to contact my GP.
“They discovered I did have diabetes and had developed diabetic retinopathy with my blood sugars being up for so long. They tried laser and injections and things, but there wasn’t a lot they could do at that stage.
“I had to give up work as I drove machines. I was in the depths of depression. Laura from Sensory Support tried to get in touch but I wasn’t interested in anything. But she didn’t give up.
“An opportunity to join a trip to the Crumlin Road Gaol came up, with RNIB, and I thought that would actually be interesting, so I went along.
“It was there that I met other people who have sight loss due to different conditions and I’m still good friends with to this day. It really helped lift me.”
Diabetes management with sight loss
Davy added: “Now, to manage my diabetes, I have one of the implants and scanners that helps me check on my sugar levels, as I wouldn’t be able to read one of the usual glucose monitors, and I think a lot more people have them in general now.”
If Davy had one key piece of advice it would be: “Don’t ignore with the signs – get checked.”
Gillian Clifford, NHS Engagement Manager at RNIB Northern Ireland, said: “Diabetes Awareness Month provides an opportunity for all of us to learn more about the causes, symptoms, management, and realities of life for those living with Diabetes.
“Sight loss caused by diabetes is often preventable.
“Regular diabetic eye screening is vital because retinopathy can develop without symptoms, and screening detects changes to the retina at an early stage.
“Screening takes less than half an hour and could save your sight. We urge everyone eligible to attend their appointments and seek help early.
“We also welcome and support Diabetes UK’s Strike Out Stigma Campaign.
“Blame, judgement and misconceptions, are contrary to the care and support, which people experiencing symptoms, newly diagnosed individuals, and those living with Diabetes, deserve.
“We must all strive for knowledge and understanding to breakdown stereotypes and improve outcomes.”
For advice on managing diabetes, visit diabetes.org.uk/northern-ireland or call 028 9066 6646.
For emotional and practical support with sight loss, visit rnib.org.uk, or contact the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email [email protected]
Life following sight loss
Now, Davy still leads an active life, and has even developed a new love for reading.
Davy added, “I was never a reader before I lost my sight. But after guidance from RNIB on how to access all things on the iPad using magnification or voiceover, I took a recommendation to try a certain book through RNIB’s Talking Books service, and they’ve changed my life.
“I told my friend Ken Carson, who also became registered blind around his 50s and who I’d met through one of the social groups, about how good the books were on the train one day.
“A few of us got talking about others, like Adrian McKinty, the Jack Reacher series, and we thought, ‘here we should get a group together and make sure other people know about these’, and it’s just another opportunity to chat about them.
“So Ken took the initiative and we started the Bangor Audiobook Group in February 2018. It’s now been going nearly eight years and we’ve around 25 – 30 members on the books. You just never know what doors will open for you.”
About diabetic retinopathy
Over time, diabetes can affect the network of blood vessels supplying the retina at the back of the eye, and this damage changes how well the retina works. This is known as diabetic retinopathy. There are different stages of diabetic retinopathy and how your vision is affected will depend on the severity of the changes to the retinal blood vessels and the area of the retina that is involved.
For more information on how diabetes can affect your sight, visit:
rnib.in/DiabetesRelatedEyeConditions
