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Diabetic Eye Care
Diabetes affects over 14 million Americans. More than 8,000 Americans will become blind from diabetic retinopathy. Visual loss is a late symptom of diabetic retinopathy. There’s a lot you can do to take charge and prevent such problems. A recent study shows that keeping your blood glucose closer to normal can prevent or delay diabetic retinopathy.
SIGNS OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
If you are having trouble reading, distortion of vision, especially with blood-sugar elevation, difficulty with night vision, dark spots and floaters are consistent with diabetic retinopathy. In the earliest stages, diabetic retinopathy is indicated by increased retinal vascular permeability, which can lead to fluid accumulation in the retina. In the more advanced stages, new vessel proliferation, vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment and neovascular glaucoma may develop. The most common cause of vision impairment from diabetes is macular edema. It can occur at any stage of retinopathy. Development of edematous thickening of the macula disturbs the retina and leads to blurred vision. When macular edema involves the center of the macula there is a chance of moderate vision loss in three years without laser surgery. Focal laser treatment reduces the risk by more than 50%.
TREATING DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Early laser treatment can help save your eyesight. Laser surgery is generally recommended for those with high-risk proliferative retinopathy with or without vitreous or pre-retinal hemorrhage. Treatment of neovascularization with high-risk characteristics is by scatter photocoagulation, in which laser burns are applied in the mid-peripheral and peripheral areas of the retina, sparing the macula. Most patients respond well to photocoagulation surgery when it is performed at the proper time. If proliferative retinopathy is not detected until after a vitreous hemorrhage has developed, an operation called vitrectomy may be necessary.
PROTECTING YOUR SIGHT
Diabetic retinopathy may be developing even when your sight is good, dilated eye exams are important for diagnosing problems early. For diabetics over age 30, annual eye exams starting at the time of diagnosis are necessary. This is because the condition has generally been present longer by the time of diagnosis. Because retinopathy is progressive, patients with diabetes require careful monitoring by an ophthalmologist with more frequent examinations as the condition of the eye deteriorates. Patients with onset of new symptoms should contact their ophthalmologist immediately.
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