The Diabetes and The Eye

Diabetes mellitus and diabetes is high blood sugar levels due to decreased production or decreased effectiveness of diabetes insulin.Patients risk of developing diabetic retinopathy by changes in blood vessels of the retina caused by the poor glycemic control. Blindness due to diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of preventable blindness.

The retina is a layer on the back of the eye that senses light and sends images to the brain. In diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels in the retina is blocked and fragile, leading to water-collection (edema), deposition of lipids, bleeding of the retina and the formation of new vessels on the retina. Vision loss can occur by the separation of fat and water in the center of the retina (diabetic maculopathy), or as a result of bleeding in the eye of new blood vessels (vitreous hemorrhage), or membrane formation on the retina, which "pulls" on the retina (retinal detachment Traction).

Symptoms:In the early stages there is no evidence that treatment works best at this stage, when they found a routine examination of the retina.In a relatively advanced stage, the vision deteriorated gradually or suddenly, reading or driving difficult. Bleeding in the eye at first because black spots or floaters or total obstruction of vision.People with advanced diabetic retinopathy, it may be difficult:

• Recognize faces from a distance or read on the bus,
• Read the fine papers, invoices, or low-contrast text
• write in a straight line
• tolerate bright light or see in the dark,
• move independently of each other after dusk, and
• is the time to watch or read the print on an insulin syringe.

Need for early detectionLife expectancy of diabetics is increasing with the availability of more effective drugs. However, this means an increase in the incidence of diabetic retinopathy and its complications blinding.People with diabetic retinopathy are 25 times more likely to cause permanent loss of vision such as experience with other diseases that threaten vision. Early detection and appropriate treatment can help prevent this. The only method of early detection is a regular and prolonged study of the retina.The check-up schedule recommended for diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy or its milder forms are:

• Minimal or no retinopathy detected - once a year
• Mild to moderate non - proliferative diabetic retinopathy - between 6 to 12 months
• Moderate to severe non - proliferative diabetic retinopathy - between 3 to 6 months
• Serious non - proliferation retinopathy, diabetic 2-3 months
• After photocoagulation - 1 to 6 months or more recommended by the treating ophthalmologist.

Diabetic retinopathy and pregnancy

Pregnancy increase the porogression of diabetic retinopathy.Therefore, pregnant women with diabetes should undergo an eye examination every three months. Glycemic control after the progression of diabetic retinopathy has less effect than the control in the early years of the disease.

Related Articles:

Posted in: Eye Tips,Health