Diabetic Retinopathy

Let's start with what the hell is wrong with me I wrote this and forgot to hit   publish on Tuesday and the Wednesday and now here we are at Thursday, talk about getting distracted and having a scatter brain. 

This week we are looking the eye condition called Diabetic retinopathy. This is a condition that some who has diabetes may develop it causes damage to the tiny blood vessels in the retina and can lead to vision loss or blindness if untreated.

It’s a complication of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes where high blood glucose gradually harms the retinal blood vessels. These vessels can:

Swell and leaks

Close off, stopping blood flow

Grow abnormal new vessels that bleed easily

Over time, this damages the retina and affects vision.

There are two stages the first is non‑proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). In this stage the following may happen

The blood vessels weaken and leak

The retina swells

The macula may swell known as macular oedema, this causes blurred vision.

The next stage is proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in this advanced stage, the following happens new fragile blood vessels grow, these can bleed into the vitreous (causing floaters or major vision loss) and scar tissue can form and pull the retina away as in retinal detachment.

Early on, there may be no symptoms at all.

However, as it progresses, people may notice:

Blurry or fluctuating vision

Floaters (dark spots or cobweb-like shapes)

Dark or empty patches in vision

Poor night vision

Sudden vision loss

How is this diagnosed?

To start with a dilated eye exam is essential during this the eye specialists may use the following.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure retinal swelling

Fluorescein angiography to detect leaking or blocked vessels (the dye test shown in the widget above)

Treatment depends on the stage, usually starting with

Control of diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol which is the foundation of preventing vision loss

Anti‑VEGF injections (e.g., Eylea, Lucentis) to reduce swelling and stop abnormal vessel growth

Laser therapy to seal leaking vessels or shrink abnormal ones

Vitrectomy surgery for severe bleeding or retinal detachment

Your risk increases when these things apply

Long duration of diabetes

Poor blood sugar control

High blood pressure

High cholesterol

Smoking