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Diabetic Retinopathy even with treatment will still cause blindness?

Posted , 5 users are following.

debjavs09
debjavs09

Hi, I'm 25years old female from the Philippines and I have been suffering from visual disturbances for years. I've been to a LOT of opthalmologist and hospital but I haven't gotten the right diagnosis. Which is really frustrating because my vision problem has been progressing and I haven't been to a doctor since Feb due to financial issue.

I've done quite a lot of research about the symptoms that I have been experiencing:

-Blurred vision

-Diplopia

-Floaters

-Flashing/Arcing of lights

-Black spots

-Severe vision snow or insect like flying on my vision

-Eye pain

- Scotoma

- After image

- Water like wave in my vision

- cloudiness/ haziness

- aura like visual disturbance on my peripheral vision the get large when I move my head

- A week ago I notice an odd black spot near the center of my vision that appears appears when I tilt my head. Its quite opaque can't see right through it and it gets large As I continue to tilt my head. This is alarming and I got really scared

I've been to a LOT of eye forums looking for people who experience the same sympstom as I have and did a lot of symptom checkers and Diabetic Retinopathy always one of the results. I got scared I still haven't been diagnosed with Diabetes but I am also experiencing symptoms of the disease like ants in urine, weight loss and thirst. I'm so scared to losee my vision.

for me Diabetic Retinopathy is similar to death sentence. I heard that even with early detection and treatment DR it will only slow the damge of the disease but won't stop its progression and eventually you will still go blind. I'm afraid to lose my vision what worry me the most is that I only have $4 in my pocket, I don't have health insurance sad

1 like, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • gill70346
    gill70346 debjavs09

    Posted

    I have to say that I think you are worrying unnnecessarily about diabetic retinopathy. You don't even know if you have diabetes, and if you haven't go diabetes you certainly will not have DR. Your first step must be to find out if you arre diabetic which you can do via a simple test at the pharmacy. Even if you have diabetes, you are not likely to have DR as it usually only occurs many years after first diagnosis, and treating the diabetes also delays the onset of DR. I know many people in their 60s who have DR and have had diabetes for over 40 years and they are not blind. I think you need to stop looking at worst case scenario and start with what you can change. Go see the pharmacist today and ask for blood sugar test.

    You say that you have been suffering these eye symptoms for many years. If there had been any likelihood of it being DR the opthalmologist would have given you a retinal screening test, and checked for diabetes. Have you suffered the weight loss, thirst, urine problems, etc. for the same length of time as the eye problems, If not it is unlikely you have suffered diabetes all that time, and therefore also makes it unlikely you have DR.

    By the way what do you mean by ants in urine. That is not a symptom I have ever come across either in symptom checkers or among people I know have diabetes including myself. Do you mean actual ants the insects?

     

    • debjavs09
      debjavs09 gill70346

      Posted

      I've been experiencing weight loss late last year i lost almost 78kgs now i'm only 56kgs also my eye problem started to get worst last year up until now. And yes I have ants in my urine like real ants I'm so worried

    • clivealive
      clivealive gill70346

      Posted

      I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 18 months ago and already have been found to have Retinopathy in both scans taken since then.

      However, I've had Pernicious Anaemia for 45 years and I bekieve that too can cause damage to the retina.

    • clivealive
      clivealive debjavs09

      Posted

      I'm not a medically qualified person but I really do think you need to get yourself thoroughly checked out by your doctor.

      I wish you well

    • debjavs09
      debjavs09 clivealive

      Posted

      I will have HBAC1 and fasting blood sugar taken this week. I am so scared I can't stop thinking about it. My vision has been worsening as days goes by and what really scare me is that what if I do have DR... i'm so scared.

    • gill70346
      gill70346 clivealive

      Posted

      Thanks for letting me  know. I honestly  did not know DR could occur so soon after being diagnosed with diabetes.I always thought DR was a very slowly progressing disease.
    • debjavs09
      debjavs09 gill70346

      Posted

      I read it on other forums and did some research that people who are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are most likely to develop Retinopathy since most Type 2 diabetes didn't know they have diabetes until symptoms already showing.

    • clivealive
      clivealive debjavs09

      Posted

      I'm "clivealive" at 75.  I was 17 in 1959 when I had stomach surgery for a burst peptic ulcer and was eventually diagnosed with P.A. 13 years later in 1972.

    • debbie27473
      debbie27473 gill70346

      Posted

      HI gill. I have also been diagnosed with retinopathy within two years of diagnosis. I know I did not have diabetes before as I have regular checks due to being on steroids. I am very upset as I read that the three criteria for developing DR are: Long term diabetes; poorly controlled blood sugars; Being pregnant. I certainly do not fit any of these. I suppose there are exceptions to every rule and I am just unlucky.
    • gill70346
      gill70346 debbie27473

      Posted

      I am really sorry to hear that Debbie. You are really unlucky. What a shock to only find you have diabetes when you have been diagnosed with DR. Makes me count myself very fortunate. Are you managing to control the diabetes OK?
  • gill70346
    gill70346 debjavs09

    Posted

    I am really sorry to hear that Debbie. You are really unlucky. What a shock to only find you have diabetes when you have been diagnosed with DR. Are you managing to control the diabetes OK?
    • gill70346
      gill70346

      Posted

      Sorry sent this to the wrong Deb
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