Diabetic Eye Disease is also known as Diabetic Retinopathy; and this November, we are celebrating Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month by bringing awareness to our readers of this disease. The goal of this awareness month is to educate the public of the effects of diabetes on vision, risk factors, and treatment options. So let’s dive in and learn more about what this disease is, how it affects your vision, and how to treat it.
What is Diabetic Retinopathy?
If you have diabetes, you are at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to vision loss. High blood sugar level can cause damage to the blood vessels in the retina. If you develop retinopathy, it may cause leakage or closure of capillaries (tiny blood vessels) or growth of new weak capillaries. There are two main types of diabetic retinopathy: nonproliferative retinopathy (blood vessels leak and then close) and proliferative retinopathy (new, weak blood vessels grow, or proliferate).
How is vision affected by diabetic retinopathy?
In the early stages of both types of diabetic retinopathy, you may have little or no vision loss. As the nonproliferative type develops, you may experience moderate to severe vision loss as fluid deposits and swelling occurs. With the proliferative type, abnormal new blood vessels can grow along the surface of the retina and later into the vitreous (fluid inside the eye). If these blood vessels rupture and bleed, they can cloud or blur vision, causing scarring and retinal detachment which may lead to a further decrease in vision or a total loss of vision.
Diabetic retinopathy can develop rapidly and without immediate warning signs; therefore, it is important to see your ophthalmologist regularly. If you experience cloudy, blurry vision, black floaters, poor vision at night, or noticing colors appear faded or washed out, contact your ophthalmologist for an exam. By seeing your ophthalmologist once a year or more, diabetic retinopathy can be diagnosed and treated early, before your vision is damaged. Controlling your blood sugar and blood pressure, eating healthy, and exercising can also slow the development of diabetic retinopathy.
Treatment
Once diabetic retinopathy has been diagnosed, your ophthalmologist may recommend injections in your eye. These medications are called anti-VEGF and they help reduce the swelling in your macula and can help slow vision loss.
Another treatment option is a laser treatment. A laser beam, focused onto the diseased areas in your retina, can be used to reduce swelling, destroy closed blood vessels or seal weak vessels.
If the retina already has extensive damage caused by proliferative diabetic retinopathy, your doctor may advise a vitrectomy. The surgical removal of the vitreous (fluid inside the eye) may be necessary to remove blood from the inner eye and to cut away scar tissue that may be pulling on the retina. Vitrectomy may be required when diabetes has severely affected vision.
Your ophthalmologist can provide more detailed information about the treatment that is best for your diagnosis and explain the benefits and risks of each procedure.
Whether you are looking for immediate care to address acute/urgent eye conditions or want to find a reliable eye doctor for routine vision exams – Illinois Eye Center’s Peoria office is proud to introduce EyeCareToday, an initiative designed to provide same day eye care when you need it most.
To see how EyeCareToday can help support your desire for a healthier vision, call (309) 243-2400 to schedule an appointment or walk into our Peoria location any time, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am ‒ 3:30 pm.