Diabetes Eye Symptoms - Retinopathy

Eye Disease - Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes eye symptoms, like all of the other symptoms of diabetes appear only after the damage has already been done. In order to make sense of the symptoms of diabetes and complications associated with them, you must first understand that diabetes causes injury by damaging blood vessels. Once you understand this you can then begin to understand how diabetes damages the eyes. There are so many ways that diabetes can affect the eyes. It can cause cataracts, glaucoma, and most importantly, diabetes damages blood vessels inside the eye, a condition known as "diabetic retinopathy".

Diabetic eye disease is a leading cause of blindness throughout the world. People with untreated diabetes are said to be at 25 times greater risk for blindness than the rest of the population. The longer a person has had diabetes, the higher the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

You're probably wondering, what is Diabetic Retinopathy? The answer is, diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes which damages the blood vessels in the retina (the thin light-sensitive membrane that covers the back of the eye). This condition, although it is preventable, can lead to blindness if it is left untreated. This emphasizes the need for persons with diabetes to have regular check-ups, so that problems can be found early enough to be effectively managed before they become too serious.

Like most complications of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy begins gradually without any noticeable change in vision. So it is not safe to wait for diabetes eye symptoms to become evident before you consult an eye specialist. But the changes in the retina can be seen and treated by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor with specialized training). So it is important for a diabetic to have an eye examination at least once a year, preferably twice.

There are two stages of diabetic retinopathy -- nonproliferative and proliferative retinopathy, the difference is in the extent of damage:

Nonproliferative retinopathy is the earlier stage. In this stage there may be hemorrhages (bleeding) in the retina with leakage of blood or protein deposits in the retina. As a result, the retina does not receive enough oxygen. This early stage of diabetic retinopathy usually produces no changes in sight but, if there is fluid in the central portion of the eye (macular edema), diabetes eye symptoms such as decreased vision may be noted.

Proliferative retinopathy is the second stage. In this condition, new abnormal blood vessels develop in the retina and grow towards the center of the eye. These vessels frequently bleed into the vitreous (the clear jelly in the center of the eye). This frequent bleeding causes severe visual problems. Small bleeds may clear up on their own but larger bleeds need surgery. The abnormal vessels may also produce large scars in the retina that may cause the retina to separate from its attachment (retinal detachment).

The diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy is made by an eye specialist. She will perform a dilated retinal examination (eye exam after the pupils of the eyes are dilated - allows the doctor to see inside the eyes better). Usually this test is done as an outpatient procedure, but it is still not safe to drive or operate heavy machinery for several hours after having it done.

In mild cases, treatment for retinal changes due to diabetes is not necessary. Regular eye exams are extremely important, though, to monitor any worsening of these changes. If you keep strict control of blood sugar and blood pressure levels you can greatly reduce or prevent diabetic retinopathy. In more severe cases, treatment is recommended to stop the damage of diabetic retinopathy from getting worse and prevent vision loss or blindness. Unfortunately surgery cannot reverse the damage that has already been done.

Laser
Laser surgery (to shrink the abnormal blood vessels) has become a common form of treatment for diabetic retinopathy. This is also usually done on an outpatient basis.

The combination of good diabetes control, good blood pressure control and regular eye exams will slow down the worsening of retinopathy. Please do not be deceived, I cannot say this too often: many people with severe, vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms! Regular eye exams by a specialist are crucial to obtaining treatment before it is too late!

Intraocular Steroid Injection is a new treatment for diabetic macular edema. This treatment helps to reduce the amount of fluid leaking into the retina, and thus improves vision. Since diabetic eye disease develops over time, it is not reasonable to expect instant healing; this treatment may need to be repeated or combined with laser therapy to obtain the most improvement of diabetes eye symptoms and a lasting effect.

What Is Your Part In Treatment?

The answer is – everything. Your day to day choices will determine your results, because successful care of diabetic retinopathy depends not only on early diagnosis and treatment by your ophthalmologist, but your attitude toward the disease along with your faithfulness with medications and diet are extremely important. For best results, you must maintain good blood sugar levels, avoid smoking and control your blood pressure.

Diabetes Eye Symptoms

Specific symptoms of retinopathy include
. Difficulty reading
. Blurred vision
. Sudden loss of vision in one eye
. Seeing rings around lights
. Dark spots or flashing lights

Just because you experience the symptoms noted above may not necessarily mean that you have diabetic retinopathy. But to be safe, if you experience one or more of these diabetes eye symptoms, you should contact your eye doctor for a complete exam to find out if you have diabetic retinopathy or another eye condition that can lead to permanent injury or blindness.

The National Institutes of Health providesmore in-depth information on diabetes eye symptoms.

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Go to Nerve Symptoms of Diabetes - Neuropathy

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