Diabetic Retinopathy-What Is It?
Is this how things look to you? You may have diabetic retinopathy. Image via Wikipedia
Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication that should be of concern to anyone suffering from diabetes. What happens is that your vision is effected in a number of different ways. That’s because diabetes can damage the eye’s retina. So first let”s look at what the retina is if we want to understand how to prevent retinopathy.
Without getting into too much detail, you can think of the retina as a group of nerves in the back of your eyeball. They are like your eye’s camera, giving your brain a look at what you are seeing. What retinopahty does is cause problems with this simple process.
Blood vessels in the retina are sensitive and can split. If this happens, fluid from those vessels drips into the eye’s compound. And that’s when the problems begin.
Most people will start to observe what appears to be an obstruction in their sight. Then scar tissue starts to occur around you eyeball and in it. Finally, the retina detaches or breaks away from where it should be sitting.
In diabetics this is more likely to happen because elevated blood sugar levels can trigger the problem. And what makes this worse is that it is normal not to have any symptoms until the problem reaches the severe stage. The end result is that by the time you realize you have a problem, it can be too late to fully correct it. Diabetics especially need to go to the eye doctor a minimum of once a year. By doing so the problem can be caught early enough to make correcting it much easier.
And even the earliest symptoms should mean a trip to the eye doctor. Look for any changes in your field of vision. Some people will notice what are called “floaters”, black or white spots that happen for what seems like no reason. If your vision seems weaker or blurry you may also have diabetic retinopathy. Double vision is another symptom. If you notice any of these, even in a mild form, you should contact your eye doctor immediately.
Catch it early enough and there are several good treatments available. Options include prescription medications, laser surgery or a more invasive surgery. Discuss each of these options with your doctor to determine the best choice for you.
But again, don’t wait until you have symptoms. Have your eyes checked regularly. Then your doctor can begin any treatment for your diabetic retinopathy before the problem becomes too severe.
If you want to find out more about the diabetic testing supplies you should have in your home, and explore diabetic food to help you eat tasty meals every day, visit Diabetes-Diabetic-Diet-Plans.com.
This article was contributed by guest author Dan Agostino.
