Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common
diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is
caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina.

In some people with diabetic retinopathy,
blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood
vessels grow on the surface of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive
tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision.







If you have diabetic retinopathy, at
first you may not notice changes to your vision. But over time,
diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic
retinopathy usually affects both eyes.

1. http://www.fitango.com/categories.php?id=314 Fitango Education Health Topics Diabetic Retinopathy

2. 1 Overview Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina.

3. 2 Overview In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision.

4. 3 Overview If you have diabetic retinopathy, at first you may not notice changes to your vision. But over time,

5. 4 Overview diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes.

6. 5 Symptoms Most often, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms until the damage to your eyes is severe. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include: -- Blurred vision

7. 6 Symptoms and slow vision loss over time -- Floaters -- Shadows or missing areas of vision -- Trouble seeing at night

8. 7 Symptoms Many people with early diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms before major bleeding occurs in the eye. This is why everyone with diabetes should have regular eye exams.

9. 8 Diagnoses Diabetic retinopathy and macular edema are detected during a comprehensive eye exam that includes: -- Visual acuity test. This eye chart test measures how well you see at various distances. -- Dilated eye exam. Drops are placed in your eyes

10. 9 Diagnoses to widen, or dilate, the pupils. This allows the eye care professional to see more of the inside of your eyes to check for signs of the disease. Your eye care professional uses a special magnifying lens to

11. 10 Diagnoses examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of damage and other eye problems. After the exam, your close-up vision may remain blurred for several hours.

12. 11 Diagnoses -- Tonometry. An instrument measures the pressure inside the eye. Numbing drops may be applied to your eye for this test. Your eye care professional checks your retina for early signs of the disease, including: -- Leaking blood vessels. -- Retinal swelling (macular edema).

13. 12 Diagnoses -- Pale, fatty deposits on the retina--signs of leaking blood vessels. -- Damaged nerve tissue. -- Any changes to the blood vessels. If your eye care professional believes you need treatment for macular edema, he or she may suggest a fluorescein angiogram.

14. 13 Diagnoses In this test, a special dye is injected into your arm. Pictures are taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in your retina. The test allows your eye care professional to identify any leaking blood vessels and recommend treatment.

15. 14 Treatment People with the earlier form (nonproliferative) of diabetic retinopathy may not need treatment. However, they should be closely followed by an eye doctor who is trained to treat diabetic retinopathy.

16. 15 Treatment Treatment usually does not reverse damage that has already occurred. However, it can help keep the disease from getting worse. Once your eye doctor notices new blood vessels growing in your retina

17. 16 Treatment (neovascularization) or you develop macular edema, treatment is usually needed. Several procedures or surgeries are the main treatment for diabetic retinopathy.

18. 17 Treatment Laser eye surgery creates small burns in the retina where there are abnormal blood vessels. This process is called photocoagulation. It is used to keep vessels from leaking or to get rid of abnormal, fragile vessels.

19. 18 Treatment -- Focal laser photocoagulation is used to treat macular edema. -- Scatter laser treatment or panretinal photocoagulation treats a large area of your retina.

20. 19 Treatment Often two or more sessions are needed. A surgical procedure called vitrectomy is used when there is bleeding (hemorrhage) into the eye. It may also be used to repair retinal detachment.

21. 20 Treatment Drugs that prevent abnormal blood vessels from growing, and corticosteroids injected into the eyeball are being investigated as new treatments for diabetic retinopathy. If you cannot see well:

22. 21 Treatment -- Make sure your home is safe so you do not fall -- Organize your home so that you can easily find what you need

23. 22 Treatment -- Get help to make sure you are taking your medicines correctly See also: -- Cataract removal -- Retinal detachment repair

24. 23 Causes Blood vessels damaged from diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss in two ways: -- Fragile, abnormal blood vessels can develop and leak blood into the center of the eye, blurring vision. This is proliferative retinopathy and is the fourth and most advanced stage of the disease.

25. 24 Causes -- Fluid can leak into the center of the macula, the part of the eye where sharp, straight-ahead vision occurs. The fluid makes the macula swell, blurring vision. This condition is called macular edema. It can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy, although it is more

26. 25 Causes likely to occur as the disease progresses. About half of the people with proliferative retinopathy also have macular edema.

27. 26 Living and Managing If you have diabetes get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year and remember: -- Proliferative retinopathy can develop without symptoms. At this advanced stage, you are at high risk for vision loss.

28. 27 Living and Managing -- Macular edema can develop without symptoms at any of the four stages of diabetic retinopathy. -- You can develop both proliferative retinopathy and macular edema and still see fine. However, you are at high risk for vision loss.

29. 28 Living and Managing -- Your eye care professional can tell if you have macular edema or any stage of diabetic retinopathy. Whether or not you have symptoms, early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss. If you have diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye exam more

30. 29 Living and Managing often. People with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by 95 percent with timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) showed that

31. 30 Living and Managing better control of blood sugar levels slows the onset and progression of retinopathy. The people with diabetes who kept their blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible also had much less kidney and nerve

32. 31 Living and Managing disease. Better control also reduces the need for sight-saving laser surgery. This level of blood sugar control may not be best for everyone, including some elderly patients, children under age 13, or people with

33. 32 Living and Managing heart disease. Be sure to ask your doctor if such a control program is right for you. Other studies have shown that controlling elevated blood pressure and cholesterol can reduce the risk of vision loss. Controlling these will

34. 33 Living and Managing help your overall health as well as help protect your vision.