Learn more about this potentially sight-threatening eye
condition and how to prevent it or stop its progression. Sources Of Nitrogen
When people are diagnosed with diabetes, one of the
potential complications is an eye disease known as diabetic retinopathy. As the
name suggests, retinopathy affects the retina, a thin layer of light-sensitive
tissue that lines the back of the eye. It can lead to blindness.
While this fact sounds alarming, and it is, educating
yourself about this condition can help prevent it, identify early symptoms, and
hopefully motivate you to get your diabetes under control.
Definition of diabetic retinopathy
The retina fulfills a similar function as the image sensor
of a camera or its film. The optics of your eye create a focused
two-dimensional image of your field of vision on the retina. This
"image" is in turn translated into electrical neural impulses to the
brain to create a visual perception.
In diabetic retinopathy, the blood vessels in the retina
become damaged and begin to swell and leak. The vessels can also be sealed to
prevent blood from flowing through. Sometimes new abnormal blood vessels begin
to grow in the retina. All of these changes can negatively affect your vision.
Diabetic retinopathy can occur in both type 1 and type 2
diabetes, as well as gestational diabetes (diabetes that occurs during
pregnancy). According to the American Society of Retina Specialists Foundation,
7.7 million Americans have diabetic retinopathy. It is the leading cause of
irreversible blindness. It occurs in more than half of people who develop diabetes.
In people with type 1 diabetes, the median age at onset of
diabetic retinopathy is between 5 and 14 years, while in people with type 2
diabetes it is 40 to 60 years.
Along with retinopathy, a condition called diabetic macular
edema can occur. This is an inflammation of the macula, an area near the
central part of the retina where vision is sharpest. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about half of people with diabetic
retinopathy will develop macular edema.
What causes diabetic retinopathy?
The main cause of diabetic retinopathy is high blood sugar,
which over time can damage the blood vessels in the retina.
"Diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels that nourish
our retinas," said Carl Awh, MD, FASRS, an ophthalmologist and retinal
specialist in Nashville and president of the American Society of Retina
Specialists Foundation.
The condition can creep up on patients, notes Dr. awh To
help prevent this, regular eye exams can detect early changes that could be
worrisome. He warns patients at risk for diabetic retinopathy, "It's a bit
like termite damage," and you don't want to wait until your foot breaks
the ground before dealing with it. The key, he says, is to detect retinal
changes before the patient loses vision.
Educating patients with diabetes about the risk of diabetic
retinopathy is "one of the greatest challenges in diabetes care,"
says Dr. Joseph Winchell, family medicine physician at Mt. Carmel Medical Group
in Pickerington, Ohio. Once a patient is diagnosed with retinopathy, "I
let them know that it can lead to blindness" and that annual checkups can
limit the risk. The same is true for glucose monitoring, says Winchell, who is
a member of Endocrine Web's editorial advisory board. "Once diagnosed,
regular follow-up by a retinal specialist is essential."
Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy
In addition to high blood sugar levels, several factors
increase a person with diabetes's risk of developing diabetic retinopathy,
according to the CDC. These include:
·
high cholesterol
·
high blood pressure
·
From smoking
You must be of African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Native
American/Alaskan descent. People in these groups who have diabetes are more
likely to develop retinopathy than people with diabetes from other races.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Signs and symptoms of diabetic retinopathy
It is very possible to develop diabetic retinopathy without
even knowing it. In the early stages there are often no symptoms. However, as
the condition progresses, you will likely notice a variety of symptoms, such
as:
