Have you ever worried about losing the ability to clearly see the vibrant neon signs of Mong Kok or the faces of your loved ones? We often associate failing eyesight with just "getting older," but for hundreds of thousands of people in Hong Kong, a much more insidious threat is at play. Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a complication of diabetes that quietly steals your vision, and it is escalating into a major public health crisis in our city.

您是否曾擔心有一天會失去視力，無法再看清旺角璀璨的霓虹燈或摯愛親友的面龐？我們常常將視力衰退歸咎於「年紀大」，但對於數十萬香港人來說，一種更隱蔽的威脅正在悄悄逼近。糖尿病視網膜病變（俗稱「糖尿眼」）是糖尿病的一種併發症，它會在不知不覺中偷走您的視力，並正在演變成我們城市的一場重大公共衛生危機。

What is Diabetic Retinopathy and Why Does It Happen?
什麼是糖尿病視網膜病變？為什麼會發生？

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that can cause vision loss and blindness in people who have diabetes. It affects the retina—the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye.¹

糖尿病視網膜病變是一種可導致糖尿病患者視力受損甚至失明的眼疾。它主要影響視網膜——也就是眼球後方對光敏感的組織層。¹

The condition is directly driven by prolonged high blood sugar levels, which cause progressive damage to the tiny blood vessels nourishing the retina. The development of DR typically falls into two main stages: / 這種疾病的直接成因是長期的持續高血糖，這會對滋養視網膜的微血管造成進行性破壞。其發展通常分為兩個主要階段：

• Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR): This is the early stage where the tiny blood vessels in the retina weaken. They may bulge, creating microscopic pouches (microaneurysms), or leak fluid and blood into the retina. This leakage can cause the macula (the central part of the retina) to swell, a condition known as diabetic macular edema, which severely blurs vision.²

  非增殖性糖尿病視網膜病變（NPDR）： 這是早期階段，視網膜內的微小血管變得脆弱。它們可能會膨脹，形成微血管瘤（小凸起），或者將液體和血液滲漏到視網膜中。這種滲漏會導致黃斑（視網膜的中心部分）腫脹，這種情況被稱為糖尿病黃斑水腫，會導致視力嚴重模糊。²

• Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR): As the disease advances, many blood vessels close off entirely, depriving the retina of oxygen. In a desperate attempt to supply blood, the retina grows new, abnormal blood vessels. However, these new vessels are extremely fragile and frequently bleed into the vitreous (the clear, gel-like substance filling the center of the eye), causing sudden, severe vision loss.²

  增殖性糖尿病視網膜病變（PDR）： 隨著疾病惡化，許多血管會完全閉塞，導致視網膜缺氧。為了努力供血，視網膜會生出新的、異常的血管。然而，這些新血管極度脆弱，經常會出血進入玻璃體（充滿眼球中心的透明凝膠狀物質），導致突然且嚴重的視力喪失。²

Symptoms and Diagnosis: How Do You Know?
症狀與診斷：如何得知自己患病？

The most dangerous aspect of diabetic retinopathy is that it often presents no symptoms in its early stages. By the time a patient notices a problem, the disease is often highly advanced. When symptoms do appear, they can include:

糖尿病視網膜病變最危險的地方在於，它在早期通常沒有任何症狀。當患者察覺到問題時，病情往往已經非常嚴重。當症狀真正出現時，可能包括：

• Seeing spots or dark strings floating in your vision (commonly known as floaters).

  視野中出現斑點或深色條紋漂浮物（俗稱飛蚊症）。

• Blurred or fluctuating vision.

  視力模糊或時好時壞。

• Impaired color vision.

  辨色能力受損。

• Dark or empty areas appearing in your field of vision.

  視野中出現黑暗或空白的區域。

• Sudden, complete loss of vision.³

  突然完全喪失視力。³

Diagnosis cannot be self-assessed; it requires a comprehensive dilated eye exam performed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Drops are placed in the eyes to widen the pupils, allowing the doctor to look through a special magnifying lens to examine the retina for signs of leaking blood vessels, retinal swelling, or pale fatty deposits. Advanced imaging techniques like Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) are also used to measure the thickness of the retina and detect microscopic fluid leaks.³

此病無法自行評估診斷，必須由眼科醫生或視光師進行全面的放瞳眼科檢查。醫生會滴入眼藥水使瞳孔放大，然後透過特殊的放大鏡檢查視網膜，尋找血管滲漏、視網膜腫脹或蒼白的脂肪沉積物的跡象。此外，醫生也會使用光學相干斷層掃描（OCT）等先進成像技術來測量視網膜的厚度並檢測微小的液體滲漏。³

Treatments and Management
治療與管理

While any vision lost to diabetic retinopathy often cannot be restored naturally, early detection and prompt medical treatment can halt or significantly slow the disease's progression:

雖然因糖尿病視網膜病變而喪失的視力通常無法自然恢復，但及早發現和及時的醫學治療可以阻止或大幅減緩疾病的惡化：

• Systemic Control: The most crucial "treatment" is strictly managing the underlying diabetes. Keeping blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels within target ranges can prevent DR from worsening.¹

  全身性控制： 最關鍵的「治療」是嚴格管理潛在的糖尿病。將血糖、血壓和膽固醇水平控制在目標範圍內，可以防止病變惡化。¹

• Anti-VEGF Injections: Medications can be injected directly into the eye to block a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This helps reverse the abnormal growth of blood vessels and decreases fluid buildup in the macula.⁴

  抗血管內皮生長因子 (Anti-VEGF) 注射： 可以將藥物直接注射到眼內，以阻斷一種名為血管內皮生長因子（VEGF）的蛋白質。這有助於逆轉異常血管的生長，並減少黃斑區的積液。⁴

• Laser Surgery (Photocoagulation): Targeted laser treatments can be used to seal off leaking blood vessels or shrink abnormal new vessels.

  激光治療 (光凝固術)： 定向激光治療可用於封閉滲漏的血管或使異常的新生血管萎縮。

• Vitrectomy: In severe cases where extensive bleeding occurs in the vitreous or if there is retinal detachment, a surgical procedure called a vitrectomy is performed to remove the blood and scar tissue from the eye.⁴

  玻璃體切除術： 在嚴重的病例中，如果玻璃體發生大量出血或出現視網膜脫落，則需要進行手術（玻璃體切除術），以清除眼內的血液和疤痕組織。⁴

Why Diabetic Retinopathy is a Major Issue in Hong Kong
為什麼糖尿病視網膜病變在香港是一個重大問題？

Hong Kong is facing a severe, underlying diabetes epidemic. According to the Hong Kong Government, roughly 700,000 people in the city suffer from diabetes—meaning approximately 1 in 10 Hong Kongers is affected.⁵ Our fast-paced, high-stress urban lifestyles, combined with sedentary routines and dietary changes, have heavily contributed to this massive surge in metabolic diseases.

香港正面臨著嚴峻的糖尿病潛在流行危機。根據香港政府的數據，本港大約有 70 萬人患有糖尿病——這意味著大約每 10 個香港人中就有 1 人受到影響。⁵ 節奏快、壓力大的都市生活方式，加上久坐不動的習慣和飲食結構的改變，都嚴重促成了這種代謝疾病的激增。

Because diabetes is so prevalent, its complications naturally follow. Current local data indicates that some 30% of diabetic patients in Hong Kong are diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy.⁵ This means over 200,000 individuals in our city are currently walking around with a sight-threatening condition, and many do not even know it because they skip routine eye screenings. Furthermore, as Hong Kong’s population rapidly ages, the sheer number of patients requiring complex ophthalmic care is placing a massive, unsustainable strain on the public healthcare system.

由於糖尿病如此普遍，其併發症自然也隨之而來。目前的本地數據顯示，在香港的糖尿病患者中，約有 30% 被診斷出患有糖尿病視網膜病變。⁵ 這意味著我們城市目前有超過 20 萬人帶著威脅視力的疾病在生活，而許多人因為沒有進行常規的眼科篩查，甚至根本不知道自己患病。此外，隨著香港人口迅速老化，需要複雜眼科護理的龐大患者數量，正在對公共醫療系統造成巨大且難以承受的壓力。

The Personal Impact: More Than Just Blurry Vision
個人影響：不僅僅是視力模糊

On a personal level, diabetic retinopathy is not an inconvenience that can be fixed with a quick trip to the optical shop for new glasses. It is a leading cause of irreversible blindness among working-age adults.

就個人而言，糖尿病視網膜病變絕對不是去眼鏡店換副新眼鏡就能解決的小麻煩。它是導致工作年齡成年人不可逆轉性失明的主要原因之一。

Losing vision to DR means a profound loss of independence. It affects a person's ability to drive, read, work, or safely navigate Hong Kong's crowded streets and MTR stations. The physical stretching and scarring from advanced DR also drastically increase the risk of secondary eye conditions, such as:

因糖尿眼而喪失視力，意味著深深失去生活自主能力。它會影響一個人駕駛、閱讀、工作，甚至在香港擁擠的街道和港鐵站安全行走的能力。晚期病變造成的物理性拉扯和疤痕，也會大幅增加患上繼發性眼疾的風險，例如：

• Tractional Retinal Detachment: Scar tissue caused by abnormal blood vessel growth can pull the retina away from the back of the eye, requiring immediate, complex surgery to prevent blindness.

  牽引性視網膜脫落： 異常血管生長引起的疤痕組織會將視網膜從眼底拉扯下來，需要立即進行複雜的手術以防止失明。

• Neovascular Glaucoma: Abnormal blood vessels can grow into the front part of the eye, blocking the normal flow of fluid, causing a severe, painful spike in eye pressure that irreparably damages the optic nerve.²

  新生血管性青光眼： 異常血管可能生長到眼睛的前部，阻礙眼內液體的正常排出，引起嚴重且疼痛的眼壓飆升，從而對視神經造成不可逆轉的損害。²