Re: Question About Eye Problems : Was Light sensitivity

[Guest guest]

Cindy, I read about a study done recently over a period of time and it

seems that the higher the Vitamin E intake, the fewer the cataracts.

Swanson's has a mixed product, tocoperols and tocotrienols, 60 in a

bottle for about $24. You would take this three times a week, which

makes the price a lot easier to take. Also their pinebark, grapeseed and

green tea complex cost 1.49 the last time I bought it, I believe also 60

pills and that would be daily.

About 20 years ago, I was told I had " baby " cataracts and they haven't

changed. I don't think I will ever need cataract surgery. I also always

wear sunglasses outside.

Unfortunately, treating for health preservation is expensive, we have had

to make choices as to priorities and going out to eat has fallen to the

bottom of the list. I also spend a lot of time on careful food shopping.

Helen

[Guest guest]

Helen, thank you so much for the information. I will check it out

and see if it can be fit into the already overstressed budget. I

have been worried about the catarac since it was discovered a couple

of months ago. The doctor didn't say anything about how to prevent

further damage except to keep the bgs low. Well, gee..... I already

knew that.

Thanks again,

Cindy in NC

>

> Cindy, I read about a study done recently over a period of time and

it

> seems that the higher the Vitamin E intake, the fewer the cataracts.

>

> Swanson's has a mixed product, tocoperols and tocotrienols, 60 in a

> bottle for about $24. You would take this three times a week,

which

> makes the price a lot easier to take. Also their pinebark,

grapeseed and

> green tea complex cost 1.49 the last time I bought it, I believe

also 60

> pills and that would be daily.

>

> About 20 years ago, I was told I had " baby " cataracts and they

haven't

> changed. I don't think I will ever need cataract surgery. I also

always

> wear sunglasses outside.

>

> Unfortunately, treating for health preservation is expensive, we

have had

> to make choices as to priorities and going out to eat has fallen to

the

> bottom of the list. I also spend a lot of time on careful food

shopping.

>

> Helen

>

[Guest guest]

Cindy,

In general terms there are 2 reasons for cataracts to form. First and foremost

for most people

(not necessarily diabetics) is family tendency to have cataracts, then secondly

diabetic

cataracts. I know, I suffered from both until they were removed in the mid '80s.

In my case the diabetic cataracts resulted from being in ketacidosis coma before

finally being

diagnosed a day late. These cataracts are called " diabetic daisies " because they

form around the

outside of the lens in six curved lobes, somewhat like flower petals, as I

remember it. I

understand they ONLY form in diabetic coma, not from runing high bg's over a

period of time.

Other forms of cataracts, such as the ones that were blocking my central vision

as the years went

by, were inherited from my Mom, who had always had bad cataracts until she had

them removd when

she was 48.

Incidentally, when she had her's removed in the mid '60s cataract surgery was a

very serious, high

risk business. She checked into the hospital Friay night, had the first one out

Saturday morning,

then Syracuse, NY (whee we lived then) had the worst snowstorm in many years.

The town shut down

(the only time I ever saw it happen), and there she was in bed under orders not

to move at all,

with nothing but interns, a few residents, and weekend duty nurses to watch out

for her needs.

So my Dad decided he was going to drive out to the eye surgeons house, dig him

out, and take him

to the hospital to check on her surgery. Got 6 blocks in 2 different directions

before he had to

give up. Mom did fine, no problems at all, but that's the ONLY time snow stopped

my Dad....

Ted Quick

--- Cindy ccraven@...> wrote:

> I understand you use pycnogenol for retinopathy. I was very lucky in

> my last eye exam in that there was no sign of retinopathy but there was

> a problem with a catarac. Do you know of anything that might help

> prevent further damage from cataracs? The doctor said it was a result

> of the diabetes most likely.

[Guest guest]

And aren't they sometimes just one of the many perks of the aging

process? Cindy, I don't know how old you are. My mother didn't have

diabetes, and she had cataracts. I have them, and one sister and one

brother so far have them, three out of the six of us. Sue

On Saturday, October 29, 2005, at 10:40 AM, Ted Quick wrote:

>

> In general terms there are 2 reasons for cataracts to form. First and

> foremost for most people

> (not necessarily diabetics) is family tendency to have cataracts, then

> secondly diabetic

> cataracts. I know, I suffered from both until they were removed in the

> mid '80s.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue,

I'm 51 years old. I have no idea about family history since I was a

lucky little girl and was adopted by two wonderful people. So

everything that pops up is a surprise for me and my physician.

I've never had any signs of cataracts until this eye exam.

Cindy in NC

> >

> > In general terms there are 2 reasons for cataracts to form. First

and

> > foremost for most people

> > (not necessarily diabetics) is family tendency to have cataracts,

then

> > secondly diabetic

> > cataracts. I know, I suffered from both until they were removed

in the

> > mid '80s.

>

[Guest guest]

Marla, that's such a shame. Why don't you get a second opinion? Maybe

there are some new treatments that would help. Do you have type 1 or 2?

How long have you had diabetes, and what have your A1C's been like? I'm

just curious to know when and at what level retinopathy develops. Dur

On Sunday, October 30, 2005, at 10:00 AM, Marla wrote:

> I am going blind from the diabetes. I have had two surgeries for

> retinopathy

> and they cannot do anymore. My vision will not go to black, my eyes

> just

> will get to the point where they cannot focus. My doctor made me

> special

> sunglasses. I cannot read books anymore (it hurts my eyes, even the

> large

> print ones),I use the accessability of the computer

>

[Guest guest]

Did you know there are camera systems that can expand books by as much as 60

times on a TV screen?

They're not even all that expensive or complicated.

Ted Quick

--- Marla ghostlady@...> wrote:

> I am going blind from the diabetes. I have had two surgeries for retinopathy

> and they cannot do anymore. My vision will not go to black, my eyes just

> will get to the point where they cannot focus. My doctor made me special

> sunglasses. I cannot read books anymore (it hurts my eyes, even the large

> print ones),I use the accessability of the computer

[Guest guest]

I think your doctor was wrong about cataracts being caused by diabetes.

Retinopathy is caused by poorly controlled diabetes; as far as I know,

cataracts have nothing to do with diabetes. Most people, as they age,

are subject to cataracts, diabetes or not.

Like Helen, I've had " beginning " cataracts for at least 10 years and

they have not progressed.

Vicki

Question About Eye Problems : Was Light

sensitivity

>

> Have you tried

>> pycnogenol?

>

>> Helen

>

> Hi Helen,

>

> I understand you use pycnogenol for retinopathy. I was very lucky in

> my last eye exam in that there was no sign of retinopathy but there

> was

> a problem with a catarac. Do you know of anything that might help

> prevent further damage from cataracs? The doctor said it was a result

> of the diabetes most likely.

>

> Cindy in NC

>

[Guest guest]

Well, actually, diabetic cataracts happen when DKA causes coma for long enough.

I was in coma for

about 3 weeks, though most of that was while they were straightening out my

electrolytes. They

started giving me insulin about a day after I went into coma.

So after that I always had " diabetic daisy " cataracts, but they didn't change at

all from 1956

till 1986, when I had the daisies plus my growing inherited cataracts.

Ted Quick

--- whimsy2 whimsy2@...> wrote:

> I think your doctor was wrong about cataracts being caused by diabetes.

> Retinopathy is caused by poorly controlled diabetes; as far as I know,

> cataracts have nothing to do with diabetes. Most people, as they age,

> are subject to cataracts, diabetes or not.

>

> Like Helen, I've had " beginning " cataracts for at least 10 years and

> they have not progressed.

> Vicki

>

> Question About Eye Problems : Was Light

> sensitivity

>

>

> >

> > Have you tried

> >> pycnogenol?

> >

> >> Helen

> >

> > Hi Helen,

> >

> > I understand you use pycnogenol for retinopathy. I was very lucky in

> > my last eye exam in that there was no sign of retinopathy but there

> > was

> > a problem with a catarac. Do you know of anything that might help

> > prevent further damage from cataracs? The doctor said it was a result

> > of the diabetes most likely.

> >

> > Cindy in NC

> >

>

>

>