Diabetic Retinopathy
Cause of Diabetic Retinopathy
It is a diabetic eye disease occurs to the retina due to diabetes mellitus. Diabetic retinopathy is the result of damage to the small blood vessels and neurons of the retina.
How diabetic affect your eyes?
- Diabetic macular edema
- Glaucoma
- Cataract
- Retinopathy
- Blurry vision
Symptoms
Early Stage
Spots or dark areas in the vision due to the weaken of the walls of blood vessels in the retina.
- May not have symptoms in the early stages
- Blurred and fluctuating vision
Advanced Stage
The growth of new or abnormal blood vessels in the retina
- The new blood vessesls can leak in to the centre of vitreous
- The scar tissue stimulated by the growth of new blood vessels may cause the retina to detach from the back of the eye and eventally will lead to:
- damage the nerve of the eye
- retinal detachment
-
glaucoma
Risk Factors
- Elderly
- People with diabeties for longer period
- People with hyperlipidemia
- People with diabeties and use insulin for treatment
- Pregnancy
- People with hypertension
Prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy
- Lower the consumption of sugar
- Monitor and manage glycemic level, blood pressure and celestial levels
- Conduct regular eye check up
- People with diabetes should conduct eye screening by fundus camera once a year
Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
People with diabetes should conduct regular eye examination once a year, including pupil dilation, IOP measurement and fundus photography.
Early stage of diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms and has little affect on eyes. But it can cause rapid vision loss without warning signs. People with diabites should control glycemic level and conduct regular eye examination.
Screening by Fundus Camera
- An objective documentation of the fundus
- Predict the risk of blindness
Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy
- Injection of corticosteroids or anti-VEGF agents into the eye
- Laser surgery
- Vitrectomy
