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 retina has a series of blood vessels. These blood vessels are sensitive and can be split. The result is that the fluid from those vessels will begin to drip into the compound of the eye. And that’s where the problems start.
The first thing you’ll notice is what seems like an obstruction in your vision. Over time, scar tissue develops both in and around your eyeball. And finally, the retina will actually detach from where it normally sits.
In diabetics this is more likely to happen because elevated blood sugar levels can trigger the problem. And what makes this worse is that it is normal not to have any symptoms until the problem reaches the severe stage. The end result is that by the time you realize you have a problem, it can be too late to fully correct it. Diabetic especially need to go to the eye doctor a minimum of once a year. By doing so the problem can be caught early enough to make correcting it much easier.
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.
But again, don’t wait until you have symptoms. Have your eyes checked regularly. Then your doctor can begin any treatment for your diabetic retinopathy before the problem becomes too severe.
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