LIVINGLIVING
KIT THAT'S COMING SOON...
NOCTURA EYEMASK
One of the
'complications' of
living with diabetes
is the prospect of a
diagnosis of Diabetic
Retinopathy. A relatively new product
may be able to reduce the impact of this
progressive disorder, preventing or at
least delaying the potential outcome of
blindness from this condition.
The eye is unique in terms of being a
body organ that has pressure inside them
A simple eyemask may help reduce or even prevent diabetic
retinopathy. Sue Marshall investigates the claims.
as well as a not very flexible exterior. In the
eye, there are rods and cones. The rods
operate in dim lighting conditions and are
not active in daylight. They basically wake
up when the sun goes down.
In order to work, rods need energy
and oxygen. One of the impacts of
diabetes is that all internal membranes
thicken, meaning that in the eye some
capillaries may struggle to deliver the
necessary oxygen in the blood to the
tissues that need it. If rods don't get
enough oxygen or energy they tend to
'steal it from next door', which is why
new, local capillaries tend to grow in order
to solve the problem. It's actually a stress
response but the problem with the newly
grown capillaries is that they tend to be
weak. They are prone to rupture, with
blood then entering the gel in the eye (the
vitreous humour), obscuring vision.
A direct link has been proven that it
is the rods that are involved in causing
diabetic retinopathy, and that it is