Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a diabetic complication which targets the eye. It is mostly caused by the damage of light sensitive tissues that are present at the back of the eye. It is the most common cause of vision blindness and impairment among adults. Swelling and distortion of macula is also a reason for the most common complications of retinoplasty. Diabetic eye disease is the primary cause of vision loss. Of an estimated 285 million people with diabetes mellitus worldwide, approximately one third have signs of DR and of these, a further one third of DR is vision-threatening DR, including diabetic macular edema (DME).
There will be no symptoms at the initial stage of diabetic retinopathy. But, after developing the disease, there are few symptoms that can be seen. Some of these are: Unclear vision at night. Bleeding from abnormal retinal blood vessels. Seeing spots. Blurred vision. Empty spot or dark spot in the centre of your vision.
The causes of this disease include: Damage of blood vessels located in the retina. Injuries to the tiny blood vessels in the retina. Blood vessels leaking or bleeding fluids into the retina, distorting the vision.
The most effective way to detect the signs of diabetic retinopathy and to monitor its development is through a detailed and extensive eye examination. The eye examination that is recommended may consist of: Vision test Examination through microscope Dilated eye examination Fluorescein angiography Optical coherence test (OCT)
diabetic retinopathy has some primary treatments to restore your vision to normal: .. Laser treatment It is done to manage the growth of new blood vessels. This growth is generally at the back of the eye, mainly in cases of proliferative diabetes retinopathy. It also helps to stabilize some cases of maculopathy. Eye injection It is used to treat maculopathy. Vitrectomy It is a surgical removal of the vitreous gel, which will improve your vision completely.
In some cases, vision loss in diabetic retinopathy can be irreversible. An early detection and treatment can reduce the risk of blindness by 95%. People with diabetic retinopathy should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam, at least once a year.
