Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication that should be of concern to anyone suffering from diabetes. What happens is that your vision is effected in a number of different ways. That's because diabetes can damage the eye's retina. So first let's look at what the retina is if we want to understand how to prevent retinopathy.
Without getting into too much detail, you can think of the retina as a group of nerves in the back of your eyeball. They are like your eye's camera, giving your brain a look at what you are seeing. What retinopahty does is cause problems with this simple process.
The blood vessels that are in the retina are very sensitive. When they split, the fluid that was in the vessels starts to drip into the eye's compound. And when this happens the problems begin.
Frequently the first noticeable change will be what look like and obstruction in your sight. Scar tissue starts to form in your eyeball and all around it. As it progresses, the retina becomes detached, and no longer sits in the position it should.
So how does this relate to diabetes? Well high levels of sugar in the blood can cause the damage we just talked about to occur. But the bigger problem is that all too often the noticeable symptoms happen only after the problem damage has become extremely severe. The result is that frequently you may not even realize the problem exists until it is too late to correct. This means that regular eye checkups from a doctor are essential. In the case of diabetics, you'll need to visit your eye doctor a minimum of every year. Discovering a problem in the early stages makes it much easier to correct.
Also be aware of any symptoms that may occur between scheduled visits. Some people notice floaters, which are nothing more than black or white spots that appear for no reason. Double vision, weak vision or blurry vision can also be signs of diabetic retinopathy. Take these symptoms seriously, even if they appear to be extremely mild. Contact your eye doctor immediately if any of these things should happen.
The good news is that often treatment is not necessary. But if treatment is needed, there are several options designed to reduce lost vision. You and your doctor will decide between prescription medication, laser treatments or more invasive surgery.
Remember the key to a successful treatment is to catch any problems early. Schedule yearly (or more frequent) visits to your eye doctor. This will help you discover if you have a problem soon enough to keep your diabetic retinopathy from becoming too severe. - 29887
Without getting into too much detail, you can think of the retina as a group of nerves in the back of your eyeball. They are like your eye's camera, giving your brain a look at what you are seeing. What retinopahty does is cause problems with this simple process.
The blood vessels that are in the retina are very sensitive. When they split, the fluid that was in the vessels starts to drip into the eye's compound. And when this happens the problems begin.
Frequently the first noticeable change will be what look like and obstruction in your sight. Scar tissue starts to form in your eyeball and all around it. As it progresses, the retina becomes detached, and no longer sits in the position it should.
So how does this relate to diabetes? Well high levels of sugar in the blood can cause the damage we just talked about to occur. But the bigger problem is that all too often the noticeable symptoms happen only after the problem damage has become extremely severe. The result is that frequently you may not even realize the problem exists until it is too late to correct. This means that regular eye checkups from a doctor are essential. In the case of diabetics, you'll need to visit your eye doctor a minimum of every year. Discovering a problem in the early stages makes it much easier to correct.
Also be aware of any symptoms that may occur between scheduled visits. Some people notice floaters, which are nothing more than black or white spots that appear for no reason. Double vision, weak vision or blurry vision can also be signs of diabetic retinopathy. Take these symptoms seriously, even if they appear to be extremely mild. Contact your eye doctor immediately if any of these things should happen.
The good news is that often treatment is not necessary. But if treatment is needed, there are several options designed to reduce lost vision. You and your doctor will decide between prescription medication, laser treatments or more invasive surgery.
Remember the key to a successful treatment is to catch any problems early. Schedule yearly (or more frequent) visits to your eye doctor. This will help you discover if you have a problem soon enough to keep your diabetic retinopathy from becoming too severe. - 29887
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