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Living with Diabetes
Diabetic Retinopathy: Eye Disease
Diabetic retinopathy is progressive damage to the eye’s retina that can result in blindness. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of new blindness among adults. In patients with diabetes, high glucose levels cause damage to the tiny blood vessels in the retina in the back of the eye. Eye disease related to diabetes can go undetected in the early stages of the disease. The progression of diabetic eye disease has no pain symptoms and may not be noticed until the disease becomes severe.
Classifications of Diabetic Retinopathy
Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy: In the earliest stage of retinopathy, microaneurysms occur. Microaneursyms are small areas of balloon-like swelling in the retina’s tiny blood vessels.
Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy: In this stage, some of the blood vessels that nourish the retina are blocked and begin to leak fluid into the retina.
Severe Nonproliferative Retinopathy: When a large percentage of the blood vessels are blocked, several areas of the retina may be deprived of their blood supply. This causes continued leaking of fluid into the retina which causes blurred vision. The areas that are deprived then send signals to the body to grow new vessels for nourishment.
Proliferative Retinopathy: This is the more advanced, more severe form of diabetic eye disease. This occurs when the new blood vessels start to grow within the eye. The new vessels grow along the retina and along the surface of the clear, vitreous gel that fills the inside of the eye. Because these new vessels have thin and fragile walls, they can leak blood and cause vision loss and retinal scarring.
Symptoms and Risk Factors of Diabetic Retinopathy
Risk Factors: Hyperglycemia, Hypertension, Smoking, and Age
Symptoms: Poor Night Vision, “Floaters” – spots in front of the eye’s, Blurred Vision, and Blindness
Watch For: Any changes in your eye sight, trouble reading books or traffic signs, or difficulty distinguishing familiar objects.
Prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy
To help prevent diabetic retinopathy, get yearly dilated eye exams, keep blood glucose levels and blood pressure as close to normal as possible, and seek medical care early for any problems.
Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy
It is important to know that treatment of retinopathy will typically not reverse existing damage, but will keep the disease from getting worse. Laser surgery, known as photocoagulation, may be used to keep blood vessels in the back of the eye from leaking or to get rid of abnormal fragile vessels. When there is bleeding in the eye or retinal detachment has occurred, a surgery known as vitrectomy may be performed.
