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Retina > Diabetic Retinopathy |
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What are diabetes problems? |
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Too much glucose (sugar) in the blood for a long time can cause diabetes problems. This high blood glucose can damage many parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. Heart and blood vessel disease can lead to heart attacks and strokes. You can do a lot to prevent or slow down diabetes problems. |
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How can diabetes hurt my eyes? |
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High blood glucose and high blood pressure from diabetes can hurt four parts of your eye: |
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- Retina (REH-ti-nuh). The retina is the lining at the back of the eye. The retina’s job is to sense light coming into the eye.
- Vitreous (VIH-tree-us). The vitreous is a jellylike fluid that fills the back of the eye.
- Lens. The lens is at the front of the eye and it focuses light on the retina.
- Optic nerve. The optic nerve is the eye’s main nerve to the brain.
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Diabetes can affect sight |
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If you have diabetes mellitus, your body does not use and store sugar properly. High blood-sugar levels can damage blood vessels in the retina, the nerve layer at the back of the eye that senses light and helps to send images to the brain. The damage to retinal vessels is referred to as diabetic retinopathy( REH-tih-NOP-uh-thee).You can get two other eye problems—cataracts and glaucoma. People without diabetes can get these eye problems, too. But people with diabetes get them more often and at a younger age. |
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● A cataract (KA-ter-act) is a cloud over the lens of your eye, which is usually clear. The lens focuses light onto the retina. A cataract makes everything you look at seem cloudy. You need surgery to remove the cataract. During surgery your lens is taken out and a plastic lens, like a contact lens, is put in. The plastic lens stays in your eye all the time. Cataract surgery helps you see clearly again.
● Glaucoma (glaw-KOH-muh) starts from pressure building up in the eye. Over time, this pressure damages your eye’s main nerve-the optic nerve. The damage first causes you to lose sight from the sides of your eyes. Treating glaucoma is usually simple. Your eye doctor will give you special drops to use everyday to lower the pressure in your eye. Or your eye doctor may want you to have laser surgery.
● Diabetes may also lead to frequent fluctuations in vision and change in glasses power, temporary paralysis of eye muscles and thus, double vision.
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What happens as diabetes retina problems get worse ? |
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Initially small vessels of the retina are affected and leak fluid and blood in the retina causing swelling of the retina (macular edema) and tiny hemorrhages leading to decreased vision. As diabetes retina problems get worse, new blood vessels grow. They break easily and leak blood into the vitreous of your eye (vitreous hemorrhage) causing severe visual loss. Over the years, secondary changes can occur forming scar tissue and pull the retina away from the back of the eye (retinal detachment) that may be beyond repair. |
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What can I do to prevent diabetes eye problems? |
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● Keep your blood glucose and blood pressure as close to normal as you can.
● Have an eye doctor examine your eyes once a year. Have this exam even if your vision is OK. The eye doctor will use drops to make the black part of your eyes (pupils) bigger which is called dilating (DY-lay-ting).
● Ask your eye doctor to check for signs of cataracts and glaucoma.
● If you are pregnant and have diabetes, see an eye doctor during your first 3 months.
● Don’t smoke. |
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What is Fluorescein Angiography? |
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It is a test in which a series of photographs of your eyes are taken after injecting a yellow dye in the arm to determine which areas are to be treated with laser. |
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What is the treatment for Diabetic retinopathy? |
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The treatment required depends upon the stage of the disease. In the very initial stages, just periodic follow ups are advised to look for progression of disease. Laser treatment is recommended when there is significant swelling in the macula, or when there are significant new blood vessels in the retina or iris. |
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What is the Laser treatment? |
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Laser is a highly concentrated light that is beamed onto the retina to treat the desired area. It is a painless OPD procedure that does not require admission. It may require more than one sitting to complete the treatment. Laser treatment is done to prevent or retard further loss of vision and not to improve the vision. |
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What Surgery is done for Diabetic retinopathy? |
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In advanced stages of the disease, your ophthalmologist may recommend a vitrectomy. During this microsurgical procedure, which is performed in the operating room, the blood-filled vitreous is removed and replaced with a clear solution. |
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When to Schedule an Examination? |
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People with Diabetes should schedule examinations atleast once a year. More frequent medical eye examinations may be necessary after the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. |
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Pregnant women with diabetes should schedule an appointment in the first trimester because retinopathy can progress quickly during pregnancy.
If you need to be examined for glasses, it is important that your blood sugar be in consistent control for several days when you see your ophthalmologist. Glasses that work well when the blood sugar is out of control will not work well when sugar is stable.
You should have your eyes checked promptly if you have visual changes that : |
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- Affect only one eye;
- Last more than a few days;
- Are not associated with a change in blood sugar;
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When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, you should have your eyes checked: |
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- Within five years of the diagnosis if you are 30 years old or younger;
- Within a few months of the diagnosis if you are older than 30 years
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