Diabetic Retinopathy-Catch This Diabetes Problem Early
Eye problems are just one of the many concerns anyone with diabetes is surely aware of. Diabetic retinopathy is serious in that it has a direct effect on your vision. What happens is the diabetes causes damage to the retina. But to understand how and what can be done to prevent it, you first need to understand the retina itself.
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.
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.
The problem with diabetics is that high blood sugar levels can trigger all the damage we just pointed out. But there’s a bigger problem. Most people won’t have any symptoms or notice any changes until the problem becomes severe. That means that by the time you notice a problem, it may be too late to do anything about it. Regular visits to the eye doctor are a must because he can discover the problem early on, and that makes correcting the problem much easier. Diabetics should go to the eye doctor at least once a year.
And even the earliest symptoms should mean a trip to the eye doctor. Look for any changes in your field of vision. Some people will notice what are called “floaters”, black or white spots that happen for what seems like no reason. If your vision seems weaker or blurry you may also have diabetic retinopathy. Double vision is another symptom. If you notice any of these, even in a mild form, you should contact your eye doctor immediately.
Often times treatment is not necessary, but if it is, there are several treatments available. These treatments can reduce the amount of vision being lost. They include surgery, prescriptions medication and also laser treatments. Your doctor will discuss all your treatment options with you.
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.