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Diabetic Retinopathy

Kiran Eye Hospital > > Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy

What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Treatments:

Diabetic Retinopathy Symptoms

The symptoms of diabetic retinopathy often don’t appear until major damage occurs inside of the eye. They include

  • Blurred vision/ loss of vision
  • Seeing floaters or dark spots
  • Difficulty seeing at night
  • Difficulty distinguishing colors

Diabetic Retinopathy Risk Factors

  • Diabetes:

    The longer a person has diabetes, the more likely he or she is to develop diabetic retinopathy, particularly if the diabetes is poorly controlled.

  • Medical conditions:

    other medical conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol increase the risk

  • Pregnancy

    Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestates) inside a woman’s uterus (womb).

  • Heredity

    Is normally defined as the method by which an offspring acquires predisposed characteristics from its parent cell.

  • Sedentary lifestyle

    A lifestyle with a lot of sitting and lying down, with very little to no exercise.

  • Diet

    The sum of food consumed by a person or other organism.

  • Obesity

    A complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat.

Diabetic Retinopathy Prevention

If you are diagnosed  with diabetes, it is important to do the following:

  • Get regular eye exams and physical checkups.
  • Keep your blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure at healthy levels.
  • Be mindful of any changes you may notice in your vision, and discuss them with your doctor.
  • Timely treatment and appropriate follow ups are important.
  • Regular exercise

If you or someone close to you has developed diabetic retinopathy, do not put off an eye test. Walk into Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital for an appointment with top specialists and surgeons in the field of eye care.

Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy

  • Mild non proliferative diabetic retinopathy –

    swelling in small areas of the blood vessels in the retina.

  • Moderate non proliferative diabetic retinopathy –

    some of the blood vessels in the retina will become blocked leading to hemorrhages

  • Severe non proliferative diabetic retinopathy –

    more blocked blood vessels, which lead to areas of the retina no longer receiving adequate blood flow

  • Proliferative diabetic retinopathy –

    new blood vessels will begin to grow in the retina, but they are fragile and abnormal, hence they can leak blood which will lead to vision loss and possibly blindness.

  • Diabetic maculopathy –

    blood vessels become leaky in the macula which is the central area of the retina which gives us the best visionDiabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis

Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis

Visual acuity testing:

This measures a person’s vision.

Tonometry:

This test measures pressure inside the eye.

Pupil dilation:

Drops placed on the eye’s surface widen the pupil, allowing a physician to examine the retina and optic nerve.

Comprehensive dilated eye exam:

It allows the doctor to check the retina for:

  • Changes to blood vessels or leaking blood vessels

  • Fatty deposits

  • Swelling of the macula (Diabetic macular edema)

  • Changes in the lens

  • Damage to nerve tissue

Optical coherence tomography (OCT):

It uses light waves to produce images of the retina to assess the amount of fluid.

Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA):

During this test, your doctor will inject a dye into your arm, allowing them to track how the blood flows in your eye. They’ll take pictures of the dye circulating inside of your eye to determine which vessels are blocked, leaking, or broken.

FAQ

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication that affects the eyes, caused by damage to the blood vessels of the retina.

What are the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy?

Symptoms include blurred vision, floaters, difficulty seeing at night, faded colors, and sudden vision loss. Early stages may have no symptoms.

How is diabetic retinopathy diagnosed?

It is diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam, including a dilated eye exam, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fluorescein angiography.

What are the risk factors for developing diabetic retinopathy?

Risk factors include having diabetes, poor blood sugar control, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, pregnancy, and long-term diabetes.

How is diabetic retinopathy treated?

Treatment depends on severity and includes managing diabetes, laser surgery, vitrectomy, and injections to reduce inflammation and prevent new blood vessel growth.