By Arturo Ronzon
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease associated with diabetes and it's the leading cause of blindness in American adults, despite readily available and effective therapy, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working age people. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the complications of diabetes, but with early detection and treatment, the risk of severe vision loss from diabetic retinopathy is small.
Diabetic retinopathy is a specific micro vascular complication of both insulin dependent (type1) and non insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes, and it is due to microangiopathy affecting the retinal precapillary arterioles, capillaries, and venules. According to the National Eye Institute, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in American adults. This disease is an abnormality of blood vessels which supply the retina, the layer lining the inside of the eye which acts like a film in a camera.
Over time, the resulting high levels of glucose in the blood can cause damage to nerves and blood vessels, including those of the eye. Without a retina, the eye cannot communicate with the brain, making vision impossible.
Routine eye exams by a licensed ophthalmologist will detect diabetic retinopathy during its early stages, when treatment is most effective; in addition, persons with diabetes should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year.
Blurring of vision is the main symptom associated with diabetic retinopathy but this usually occurs when the disease is already well established, this symptom of diabetic retinopathy can blur or distort the images that the retina sends to the brain, though there is no pain, this severe form of diabetic retinopathy requires immediate medical attention. The symptom may be as subtle as a yawn or as dramatic as a feeling of imminent collapse.
Once retinopathy has developed, laser surgery is currently the mainstay of treatment, but with early detection and treatment, the risk of severe vision loss from diabetic retinopathy is small. In mild cases, treatment for diabetic retinopathy is not necessary.
The most common treatment for patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy is panretinal laser photocoagulation, and early detection and timely treatment of diabetic eye disease significantly reduces the risk of vision loss.
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