DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
A complication of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina.
Diabetic retinopathy can affect your vision, ultimately leading to blindness if left untreated.
Let Dr. Robert Wooldridge of the Eye Foundation of Utah serving Murray, UT slow the progression of this disease.
THE BASICS OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Diabetic retinopathy can occur in anyone who has gestational, type 1, or type 2 diabetes. The longer you've had diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop diabetic retinopathy.
The retinal disease occurs when high blood sugar keeps blood vessels from nourishing the retina. As a result, the eye grows new blood vessels, but they don't develop properly and leak easily. There are four stages of diabetic retinopathy:
- Mild nonproliferative retinopathy
- Moderate nonproliferative retinopathy
- Severe nonproliferative retinopathy
- Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Each stage gets progressively worse, affecting more blood vessels and your vision.
SYMPTOMS OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
While diabetic retinopathy might not cause symptoms in its earliest stages, patients with the condition can experience:
- Floaters
- Vision Loss
- Blurred Vision
- Difficulty Perceiving Colors
- Dark Areas in the Field of Vision
- Pain or Pressure in One or Both Eyes
THE DANGERS OF DELAYED TREATMENT
When left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to a vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, glaucoma, and blindness. Swift intervention is the best way to preserve your vision and prevent these complications. If you have diabetes and you're noticing symptoms of diabetic retinopathy, reach out to our Murray ophthalmology office serving all of Salt Lake City to meet with Dr. Wooldridge as soon as possible.
TREATING DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
To prevent vision loss, eye doctors recommend that patients with diabetes complete a yearly eye exam, manage their blood sugar, and pursue early intervention if they are diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. If you are diagnosed with the retinal disease, treatment can include:
CONTROLLED BLOOD SUGAR
In its three earliest stages, diabetic patients can slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy by controlling their blood sugar, managing their blood pressure, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough exercise.
FOCAL LASER TREATMENT
Macular edema is a condition in which the blood vessels leak into the macula, causing blurry vision. If you've developed macular edema, a condition that can occur during any stage of diabetic retinopathy, focal laser treatment can reduce the amount of fluid in the macula.
INJECTABLE MEDICATION
Diabetic patients with the fourth stage of this retinal disease can benefit from injectable medication that stops the growth of the new blood vessels and decreases the buildup of fluid in the eye.
SCATTER LASER TREATMENT
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy can also be treated with scatter laser treatment. Our Salt Lake City-area office can use this treatment to shrink blood vessels and slow the leaking of blood.
VITRECTOMY
If your vitreous (the fluid inside the eye) has become clouded with blood, a vitrectomy can remove the clouded vitreous and replace it with another solution. Over time, the solution is replaced with the body's natural vitreous.
*Disclaimer: results are not guaranteed, may not be permanent, and can vary per individual. Some images are of models, not actual patients.