Diabetic Eye Disease
Diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes complication, causes damage to the blood vessels of the retinas which are in the eyes’ back portion. Eye checkups will lessen the possibility of blindness since blindness is caused by diabetic retinopathy. Laser treatment has been used successfully for retinopathy. All diabetics have the risk of getting diabetic retinopathy.
Types of diabetic retinopathy
The three major types of diabetic retinopathy are:
- Proliferative retinopathy, an advanced type, happens when the retina’s blood vessels have been lost and fragile, new blood vessels which bleed with ease take their place. Sudden blindness can occur.
- Macular oedema occurs when the macula becomes swollen, causing fluid to leak from the blood vessels of the retina. This can cause damage to the central vision.
- Non-proliferative retinopathy – This is the early type in which there is bleeding or leaking of the blood vessels in the retina.
Diabetics’ risk of getting retinopathy is high
It is necessary for every diabetic to understand the risk of suffering diabetic retinopathy.
- All diabetics have the possibility of suffering from retinopathy.
- All type I and type II diabetics have 25 times greater chance to become blind than non-diabetics.
Untreated, diabetic retinopathy can result in loss of vision as well as blindness. Even though the condition is serious, only fifty percent of diabetics go for regular eye checkups while one-third do not do so at all.
Diabetic Retinopathy -Video Guide
Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy gives no early symptoms and only when the disease has reached the advanced stage is there a loss of vision.
Advanced-stage symptoms of diabetic retinopathy are:
- Headaches.
- Eye strain.
- Blurred vision.
Causes
One of the complications of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy which is a disease of the eye. It results from damage, brought on by diabetes, of blood vessels which takes nutrients and oxygen to the retina, the part that enables the eye to see.
Diabetic retinopathy prevention
Ways to prevent diabetic retinopathy are:
- Effective diabetes management, together with improved control of blood glucose levels, cholesterol and blood pressure. Good diabetes management will assist to slow down the progress of retinopathy.
- With the eyes examined periodically,diagnosis can be made early with treatment given before there is serious loss of vision. Start your eye checkups periodically once diabetes has been diagnosed.
Treatment
Diabetic retinopathy treatment options are:
- Surgery – Surgery may be needed for serious diabetic retinopathy cases which has not responded well to treatment with laser.
- Laser treatment – This treatment is effective for proliferative retinopathy and macular oedema. The treatment closes up blood vessels which are leaking and can help to lessen the growth of fragile new blood vessels, assisting to avoid loss of vision.
- Management – With the help of your doctor, monitor your diabetes and watch out for diabetic retinopathy.
Things to remember
- It is possible to all diabetics to develop diabetic retinopathy.
- Blindness or vision loss can be prevented if detected early and treatment given in time.
- Good diabetes control, cholesterol and blood pressure and eye checkups done periodically can avoid loss of vision
- It is necessary for action to be taken before any problem of the eye is noticed.