Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy


Your body can be affected by diabetes in many ways. It can affect your vision by causing cataracts, glaucoma, and damage to the blood vessels in your eyes. People with untreated diabetes are said to be 25 times more at risk for blindness. The longer you have diabetes, the greater the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Proliferative Retinopathy


When new, abnormal blood vessels begin growing on the retina it is called Proliferative Retinopathy. The abnormal blood vessel growth is referred to as neovascularization. These new blood vessels are weak, often causing them to break and bleed inside the eye. When bleeding occurs, it blocks the light entering the pupil towards the retina causing blurred vision. The new abnormal blood vessels may grow scar tissue that pull on the retina and can cause a retinal detachment.


Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy


The symptoms of background diabetic retinopathy usually go unnoticed until you have an eye exam or when there has been a significant loss in vision. Proliferative retinopathy usually causes hazy, spotty, painless changes in your vision that need immediate medical attention.

How diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed


Frequent eye exams are extremely important in controlling any diabetic changes in the eyes. If diabetic retinopathy is found on an eye exam, a fluorescein angiography may be ordered to find out if treatment is needed. Fluorescein angiography is a test where dye is injected into the veins of your arm and photos are taken to see if there is any leaking of the blood vessels.

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy


It is known that a substance called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is sometimes present in a higher concentration in the eyes of patients with diabetic retinopathy. This causes new blood vessels to form that can leak fluid and bleed easily. Anti VEGF molecules can be injected into the eye that can reverse this. This is a very effective treatment that is a huge step forward in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Laser surgery can be used to seal off the leaking blood vessels in the eye, which is called laser photocoagulation. If this type of surgery is performed at an early stage in diabetic retinopathy, it can slow down vision loss. Laser surgery can even help with proliferative retinopathy to help prevent severe visual impairment.


Vitrectomy Surgery for Retinopathy


Vitrectomy surgery can be done in advanced cases of proliferative retinopathy. This procedure involves removing the vitreous, which is the clear jelly like substance in the center of the eye. The vitreous is removed due to a large amount of bleeding that has taken place.

In some cases of proliferative retinopathy, a retinal repair is needed. This surgery is recommended when the scar tissue has caused the retina to pull away from the back of the eye.


Responsibility of a diabetes patient


It is very important for patients to take very good care of themselves to help with prevention of diabetic retinopathy. Patients should try to maintain good blood sugar levels and good blood pressure, and avoid smoking.


For more information and resources on diabetic retinopathy, click here.


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