T.J. Samson | Destination Health | December 2020

Women Anyone with diabetes—type 1, type 2 or gesta- tional—is at risk for diabetic retinopathy. So if you have diabetes, it’s good for you to learn as much as you can about this eye disease, including these 10 important facts. 1 Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar damages your retina—the light- sensitive lining found at the back of your eye. Sugar can block tiny blood vessels in your retina, causing them to bleed or leak fluid. Your eyes try to compensate by growing new blood vessels. These new blood vessels don’t work as well. 2 Diabetic retinopathy may not cause any symp- toms at first. But sometimes early stages of the disease can cause changes in vision, such as trouble reading or seeing things that are far away. These symptoms may come and go. 3 As the disease progresses, damaged blood vessels in the retina start to bleed into the center of the eye. Symptoms can include float- ing dark spots or streaks that look like cobwebs, blurred vision, a dark or empty spot in the middle of your vision, and trouble seeing at night. 4 Diabetic retinopathy can lead to vision loss and blindness. 5 Diabetic retinopathy can trigger other prob- lems in the eyes. These include diabetic macular edema (DME), in which the blood vessels in the retina leak fluid and cause swelling in the macula, which is part of the retina. Diabetic reti- nopathy also can lead to a type of glaucoma. 6 Your risk for developing diabetic retinopathy increases the longer you have diabetes. 7 Your eye doctor can find diabetic retinopathy early during a dilated eye exam. This is why it’s so important for people with diabetes to get regular eye checkups. Early treatment can halt damage to your eyes and prevent blindness. 8 You can lower your risk for getting diabetic retinopathy by controlling your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 9 To slow the development of diabetic retinopathy: ■ Take your diabetes medicine as prescribed. ■ Follow a healthy diet. ■ Be physically active. ■ Avoid alcohol and smoking. 10 Diabetic retinopathy can be treated in several ways. One is through injections of medicine in your eyes. Another is laser treatment, which can shrink blood vessels and stop leak- ing. Surgery is also sometimes used to treat the disease. Source: National Eye Institute 10 facts about diabetic retinopathy Screening for cervical cancer is vital Cervical cancer used to have a grim story. It was once one of the most common causes of cancer death in American women. That changed when screening for the disease with the Pap test became routine in the 1960s. Today it’s still vitally important that women continue to get regularly screened for cervical can- cer. Why? Because screening offers the best chance to find the disease early, when treatment is most successful. Also equally important: Screening can actually prevent cervical cancer. Tests can find abnormal changes (precancers) to cells in the cervix so they can be treated before they become cancerous. Unfortunately, despite these benefits, not all women get screened for cervical cancer. Most cases of the disease are found in women who have never had a screening test or haven’t had one recently. WHAT TESTS ARE AVAILABLE? There are two screening tests for cervical cancer: the human papillomavirus (HPV) test and the Pap test. Both are done the same way. A special tool is used to gently scrape or brush the cervix for cells to be tested. The HPV test looks for high-risk types of HPV that are more likely to cause precancers and cancers of the cervix. The Pap test is used to find cell changes or abnor- mal cells in the cervix. WHEN SHOULD WOMEN GET SCREENED? The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that:    ● Screening for cervical cancer start at age 25.    ● Women ages 25 to 65 have a primary HPV test every 5 years. (A primary HPV test is an HPV test that is done by itself for screening.) If primary HPV testing is not available, screening is recommended with either a test that combines an HPV test with a Pap test every 5 years or a Pap test alone every 3 years.    ● Women should stop testing if they’re older than 65 and have had normal test results for many years. Women should also stop testing if they’ve had a total hysterectomy—both the uterus and cervix have been removed—for a noncancerous condition like fibroids. According to the ACS, the most important thing to remember is to get screened—no matter which test you get. Wellness December 2020 3