Diabetic individuals are at a risk of developing a number of common eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy, cataract and glaucoma.
Diabetic retinopathy is among the most common eye diseases afflicting over five million people from the United States in the age of eighteen years and more. Generally both the eyes get affected due to the disease. Diabetic retinopathy advances in 4 stages with the highly acute one being proliferative retinopathy. Harmed blood vessels due to diabetic retinopathy could lead to vision failure and sightlessness in duo ways:
- Fluid seepage inside the middle retinal area known as macula which is the location where core vision forms. This fluid seepage causes swelling in the macula which blurs eye sight.
- During proliferative retinopathy, new-fangled and irregular blood vessel growth occurs which cause vision blurriness due to blood leakage within the core of the eye.
Risk Factors
All people with either type 1 or 2 diabetes are at a risk of developing one of the highly common eye diseases, diabetic eye disease. More the span of time a person has diabetes, the risk would also rise proportionately. The National Eye Institute estimates that forty-five percent of people from the U.S. with diabetes diagnosis have been inflicted with some type of diabetic retinopathy.
Also, swell-up of macula and retinopathy could arise in a people and still be asymptomatic. At times, eye sight would continue to be non-affected as the eye condition advances. Nonetheless, a person’s risk of ultimately facing vision failure is quite high.
Symptoms of Diabetic retinopathy
Similar to diabetes, preliminary signs and symptoms of diabetic retinopathy might fail to be spotted for some period of time. Hence waiting for symptoms to arise prior to any action could be taken is only throwing caution to the winds. In case therapy is postponed till the time eye sight is visibly affected would lower efficacy of the treatment.
In case blood loss has commenced, a number of floater formations of blood might start appearing. In case this occurs then it is imperative to seek prompt medical opinion. Often hemorrhage could additionally happen while the person is asleep.
In case diabetes diagnosis has been confirmed then a comprehensive eye examination must be scheduled with the eye doctor once annually or more frequently in case necessary. Appearance of the following symptoms would necessitate immediate visit to the eye doctor.
- Blurry eye sight.
- Floater formations which are swimming in and out of a person’s vision affecting a single eye and lasting more than a couple of days.
Treatment of Diabetic retinopathy
Scatter Laser Treatment
This therapy is effectual in treatment of novel blood vessels prior to or subsequent to bleeding having commenced. Acute blood loss treatment is done by blood removal from the core of the eye.
Focal Laser Treatment
This therapy might be conducted for stabilizing eye sight and might lessen vision failure by nearly fifty percent.
Such laser therapies might lessen the chances of developing grave vision failure and sightlessness however they are not capable of curing diabetic eye disease, salvage vision failure or avert imminent vision failure.
Prevention
Blood glucose and blood pressure levels are to be maintained at normal level and adhering to physician’s advice on the intake of appropriate medicines, exercising and dietetic intake.
Read more at : 4 Common Eye Diseases – Part II
