what-you-need-to-know-about : Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye problem which can lead to blindness. It affects people with uncontrolled sugar levels.

What are the symptoms?

• Blurred vision.
• Spots or dark strings floating in your vision (floaters)
• Trouble seeing things that are at the center of your focus when reading or driving.
• Trouble telling colors apart.

How is the diagnosis made?

To check for diabetic retinopathy:

• Dilated eye examination — The pupil is dilated with eye drops. Retina is then examined as Retina is the part of the eye that is damaged in Diabetes.

• Digital retinal imaging — for this test, a technician takes pictures of the eye with a special camera. Then he or she sends the pictures to an Ophthalmologist doctor, who checks for abnormalities.

All diabetic people should have their eyes examined every year. Ideally, the checkup should include a dilated eye exam which is done by an Ophthalmologist. (People who have had normal eye exams in the past and do not have an eye doctor nearby can instead go for digital retinal imaging)

What is the treatment?

Diabetic retinopathy cannot always be treated. But people with mild condition do need to keep their blood sugar and blood pressure levels as close to normal as possible. This helps keep the condition from getting worse besides the following treatment can help:

• Photocoagulation — This is a laser surgery to seal or destroy leaking or growing blood vessels in the retina.

• Vitrectomy — This procedure uses a tiny incision in your eye to remove blood from the middle of the eye (vitreous) as well as scar tissue that's tugging on the retina.  This surgery is done if the blood vessels in the retina leak into the vitreous humor.

What are the prevention?

If you have diabetes, you can reduce your chances of getting diabetic retinopathy by keeping your blood sugar and blood pressure levels as close to normal as possible. It might also be important to keep cholesterol levels in the normal range. Get your eyes checked every year even if no problem occurs.