Diabetic Retinopathy

Anyone that has diabetes knows all about blood sugar levels and how to control them. Diabetic Retinopathy can occur when blood sugars are allowed to become too high. What this does is damage the blood vessels in the eyes causing this problem.

Diabetic Retinopathy Symptoms

In order to diagnose and get effective diabetic retinopathy treatment, you need to know the diabetic retinopathy symptoms you must look out for. In the early stages of this problem you probably won’t notice any of the symptoms, which makes diabetic retinopathy treatment hard to implement.

If you notice floaters in either eye this is one of this can be one of the symptoms. Another is difficulty reading or doing close up work. This symptom can mean that there is fluid building up in the macula which is the most light sensitive part of the retina. Another sign that you need diabetic retinopathy treatment is double vision.

If you experience any of these symptoms it is vital that you see your doctor immediately so that you can begin the diabetic retinopathy treatment that is required.

Causes And Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment

Long term diabetes and changes in blood sugar levels will put you at risk from developing this problem. It can take up to 10 years for diabetics to develop this problem but it is important that regular eye check ups are part of your normal diabetic treatment.

High blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina, and once damaged these blood vessels can bleed or leak fluid. The retinas will then swell and form deposits. This is the early stages and is known as non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy develops in later stages and this is where new blood vessels start to grow on the surface of the retina. This can lead to serious vision problems and in some cases blindness.

Having the correct diabetic retinopathy treatment can avoid vision loss if the problem is diagnosed and treated in time. Early detection is vital and all diabetics should have a dilated eye examination at least once a year.

Diabetic retinopathy treatment includes using laser photocoagulation which seals leaking blood vessels and will also destroy any new growth that is present. Another procedure in diabetic retinopathy treatment is vitrectomy. This procedure removes any blood that has leaked and improves vision.

If left untreated this problem can eventually lead to a cataract forming which will need to be surgically corrected.

 
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