DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy refers to any retinal damage that results from long-term diabetes. It is the most common cause of vision loss among diabetics and the leading cause of vision impairment and blindness among American adults. This eye condition changes blood vessels in the retina, causing them to leak fluid or blood, which impairs vision. Because diabetic retinopathy develops slowly, eye damage can occur before people notice vision changes.
Warning Signs & Symptoms
Early diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms, but as it progresses, symptoms include:
- Blurred vision
- Blindness
- Floaters or shadows
- Missing areas of vision
There are two stages of diabetic retinopathy:
- The early stage is nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, in which blood vessels in the retina begin to leak. If the leakage is severe enough to cause swelling or thickening of the retina, blurring of vision can occur.
- The later stage, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, occurs when the blood vessels in the retina close and abnormal ones grow in their place. These abnormal blood vessels are extremely fragile and leaky, and cause severe bleeding inside the eye. This can lead to vision loss, as well as detachment of the retina and severe forms of glaucoma.
A dilated, comprehensive eye exam is the only way to detect diabetic retinopathy in its early stages before it becomes symptomatic. Specialized testing, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) can be performed to diagnose the extent of diabetic retinopathy, and to help determine what treatment is indicated.
Treatment is determined based on which stage of diabetic retinopathy is present and to what extent the vision is threatened. Treatment of diabetic retinopathy can include laser, injection of medications into the eye, and various types of surgery. Some of these treatments would be performed by a sub-specialist called a vitreo-retinal surgeon.
It is important to understand you can manage your risk for diabetes and even reverse prediabetes by making lifestyle changes and by ensuring you:
- Take all prescribed medication
- Visit your eye doctor and primary care physician regularly (at their requested intervals)
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise daily
- Control your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels with regular monitoring by your primary care physician
- Eat a well-balanced diet
- Quit smoking
If you are a diabetic, these healthy habits will also help manage your diabetes and prevent diabetic eye disease.
