Diabetic Retinopathy

Numerous diseases could affect the eye since it’s an extremely sensitive part of the body, such as diabetes. Whereas, diabetes, when it’s uncontrolled, could severely impact the eye, and it could also lead to extremely dangerous complications like vision loss.

Eyes structure

The eye is composed of several parts and layers:

• Cornea: It’s an external layer that protects the interior part of the eye. It also has a role in the vision process.
• Sclera: The white part of the eye.
• Conjunctiva: A clear layer that covers the outside of the eye.
• Aqueous humor: It’s the liquid that fills up what’s called the anterior space of the eye. Moreover, the pressure of this liquid has a role in the shape of the eye.
• Iris: It contains the pigment that colors the eye in addition to the muscles that control the pupil.
• Pupil: The black circle in the middle of the eye, and it plays a role in the vision process.
• Lens: It has a main role in the vision process.
• Vitreous humor: It’s a clear gel-like liquid that fills up the space between the lens and the retina, and it has a role in the shape of the eye.
• Retina: It’s composed of light-sensitive cells and is located in the back of the eye. Moreover, it has a role in the vision process.
• Optic nerve: It’s the path between the retina and the brain for transferring the information of the vision in order for us to be able to see.
• External muscles: They control the movement of the eye in addition to its shape.

What is diabetic retinopathy

The retina contains light-sensitive cells that are nourished by tiny blood vessels, and if the patient suffers from uncontrolled diabetes, this could affect those vessels and lead to damaging them in addition to impacting the vision. This condition could occur in any diabetic patient, and as this person gets older, the chance of having diabetic retinopathy increases.

Causes of diabetic retinopathy

Any person with diabetes for a long time is at risk of getting diabetic retinopathy, whereas it’s estimated that 80% of people with diabetes get diabetic retinopathy after 20 years of diabetes. There are also other causes and risk factors, such as:

• Uncontrolled diabetes.
• Smoking.
• Having other diseases like hypertension and high blood cholesterol.
• Pregnancy and gestational diabetes.
• People who are African American and Hispanic.
• Family history.

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy

The patient might not suffer from any symptoms in the early stages of the condition. However, as the illness progresses, these symptoms could occur:

• Vision worsens gradually.
• Seeing dark spots and streaks in the vision field, which are called floaters.
• Blurred and fluctuating vision.
• Difficulty seeing at night.
• Difficulty seeing far things.
• Pain and redness in the eye.
• Sudden vision loss in cases of not treating the condition early.

Complications of diabetic retinopathy

This condition could lead to extremely dangerous complications when untreated, such as:

• Vitreous hemorrhage: When the bleeding amount is small, it could cause you to see the floaters, while in severe bleeding, this could lead to blocking your vision completely.
• Retinal detachment, which could extremely impact the vision.
• Glaucoma.
• Complete vision loss.

Diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic patients should do yearly eye examinations in order to diagnose diabetic retinopathy, in case it’s existed, as early as possible because this condition is mostly asymptomatic in its early stages. The specialist doctor examines the eye completely, in addition to examining the retina and the blood vessels.

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy

It depends on the condition of the patient and includes the following:

• Medical treatment, in which the specialist injects the drug into the eye, and that reduces the progression of the disease in addition to improving the vision.
• Laser treatment, which helps stop the bleeding in the blood vessels.
• Vitrectomy, in which they remove the leaking blood in the vitreous humor.

Diabetic retinopathy prevention

• Controlling and monitoring blood sugar.
• Diabetic patients should have regular eye examinations.
• Managing other health conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol.
• Avoid smoking.
• Following a healthy lifestyle.
• Paying attention to any alterations in the vision.