All diabetics should have an annual (more often if advised by your doctor) dilated eye examination by an ophthalmologist.
Changes in blood sugar levels can cause diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in adults.
Two Types of Diabetic Retinopathy
1. Background diabetic retinopathy is the early stage of diabetic retinopathy, which may simply require careful monitoring. This is
often symptom-less but later may cause clouded vision, distortion of familiar objects, blind spots or floaters.
2. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is the advanced stage of the disease and affects about five percent of all diabetics,
mostly those who have had diabetes for more than 25 years. Tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina may leak into the vitreous humor,
the jelly-like fluid that fills the inner cavity of the eye. These leaks can cause cloudy vision. Also, scar tissue can form from the
damaged blood vessel, which over time shrinks and exerts a pulling effect on the retina. This can result in retinal detachment.
Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy
Background diabetic retinopathy may not require immediate treatment but should be carefully monitored by regular eye examinations.
If the condition becomes more serious, a medical laser may be used to seal the leaking blood vessels and thereby slow down their
development into the more serious form of diabetic retinopathy.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy again uses heat-sealing lasers to cauterize leaking blood vessels in the macula area of the retina.
This must be done with great caution in order to prevent additional damage to the macula, which is responsible for all of the
eye's central vision functions.
