Eye Care Associates Discusses Diabetic Retinopathy 

Diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas in which insulin, a natural hormone that removes glucose from the body, is produced in insufficient amounts or not at all. As a result, glucose is held inside the body and builds up in the walls of the blood vessels, weakening them. When blood vessels are weakened, blood and nutrients cannot flow to the eye normally and may leak from the blood vessels, further damaging tissues. Our optometrist will look for these changes in your eyes during dilated eye exams.

The eye's retina transfers light to the optic nerve to convert it into images sent to the brain. Damage caused by diabetes can cause blood vessels to leak. Other conditions can also contribute to diabetic retinopathy, such as poor control of blood sugar levels over some time, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pregnancy, and tobacco use. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include dark spots or strings in vision, blurry vision, empty areas in the field of vision, and vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy can lead to diabetic macular edema, a complication in which fluid builds up in the macula, a critical structure in the eye. Diabetic macular edema can lead to blindness.

Managing blood sugar levels is critical to preventing vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. In the early stages, our eye doctor will carefully monitor any problems occurring in your eyes. Certain drugs may be injected into the eyes to slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy. Laser treatments can also help to stop the progression of the condition. In some cases, a surgical procedure called a vitrectomy may also be done to prevent further vision loss.