Chapter 1
Diabetes Retinopathy
What is Diabetes Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is the medical disorder where the small blood vessels in the retina (the back part of the eye) are damaged by long term diabetes.
Diabetes that is not well controlled also causes damage to the retina causing:
1. Loss of vision due to the swelling of the retina,
2. Inadequate blood supply to the retina cells,
3. Bleeding inside the eye
4. Scarring and detachment of the retina
It also raises the chance of having glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye problems.
What are the Causes of Diabetes Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy results from the damage from diabetes to the small blood vessels of the retina over time.
The retina is the layer of nerve tissue at the back of the inner eye.
It transforms light and images that enter the eye into nerve signals, which are transmitted to the brain to detect what the images the eye see.
The small vessels can leak resulting in swelling of the retina.
The blood vessels become obstructed resulting in the retina to react by trying to grow new blood vessels.
These new abnormal and fragile blood vessels tend to bleed into the cavity of the eye.
Scars can form from these new blood vessels that have the tendency to pull the retina and induce it to detach.
All these can result in severe and permanent vision loss.
80% of people with long term diabetes will develop diabetes retinopathy.
Diabetic retinopathy is a predominant cause of blindness in people 20 to 74 years old.
It is the major cause of new blindness in working adults in developed countries.
People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at danger of this condition.
A person with diabetes should have the eyes checked yearly.
Two stages of diabetic retinopathy are present:
1. Non-proliferative develops first
2. Proliferative is more advanced and severe, and is less frequent
The likelihood of getting retinopathy and having a more severe form is greater when:
1. The patient has the diabetes for a long time
2. The blood sugar (glucose) is poorly controlled
Important risk factors which can worsen diabetes retinopathy are:
1. High blood pressure
2. High cholesterol
3. Pregnancy
4. Smoking
5. Kidney failure
Some types of exercise can make diabetic retinopathy worse.
If the patient has retinopathy, the doctor is consulted before an exercise is started.
Other eye problems that can develop in persons with diabetes are:
1. Cataract - cloudiness of the eye lens
2. Glaucoma - increased pressure in the eye that can lead to blindness
3. Macular edema - blurry vision due to fluid leaking into the area of the retina that provides sharp central vision
4. Retinal detachment - scarring in the eye may cause part of the retina to pull away from the back of the eyeball
High blood sugar or changes in blood sugar level frequently result in blurred vision.
The lens in the middle of the eye is unable to transform its shape even when too much sugar and water is present in the lens so the lens becomes less clear.
This is not the same problem as diabetic retinopathy.
What are the Symptoms of Diabetes Retinopathy?
Most frequently, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms in the early stages of Diabetes Retinopathy until the damage to the eyes is severe.
This is because damage can occur in much of the retina before the vision is involved.
Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy are:
1. Blurred vision and slow vision loss over time
2. Floaters
3. Shadows or missing areas of vision
4. Trouble seeing at night
5. Dark clouds in the field of vision due to bleeding in the eye
Many people with early diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms until bleeding happens in the eye.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Diabetes Retinopathy
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapte
Diabetes Retinopathy
What is Diabetes Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is the medical disorder where the small blood vessels in the retina (the back part of the eye) are damaged by long term diabetes.
Diabetes that is not well controlled also causes damage to the retina causing:
1. Loss of vision due to the swelling of the retina,
2. Inadequate blood supply to the retina cells,
3. Bleeding inside the eye
4. Scarring and detachment of the retina
It also raises the chance of having glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye problems.
What are the Causes of Diabetes Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy results from the damage from diabetes to the small blood vessels of the retina over time.
The retina is the layer of nerve tissue at the back of the inner eye.
It transforms light and images that enter the eye into nerve signals, which are transmitted to the brain to detect what the images the eye see.
The small vessels can leak resulting in swelling of the retina.
The blood vessels become obstructed resulting in the retina to react by trying to grow new blood vessels.
These new abnormal and fragile blood vessels tend to bleed into the cavity of the eye.
Scars can form from these new blood vessels that have the tendency to pull the retina and induce it to detach.
All these can result in severe and permanent vision loss.
80% of people with long term diabetes will develop diabetes retinopathy.
Diabetic retinopathy is a predominant cause of blindness in people 20 to 74 years old.
It is the major cause of new blindness in working adults in developed countries.
People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at danger of this condition.
A person with diabetes should have the eyes checked yearly.
Two stages of diabetic retinopathy are present:
1. Non-proliferative develops first
2. Proliferative is more advanced and severe, and is less frequent
The likelihood of getting retinopathy and having a more severe form is greater when:
1. The patient has the diabetes for a long time
2. The blood sugar (glucose) is poorly controlled
Important risk factors which can worsen diabetes retinopathy are:
1. High blood pressure
2. High cholesterol
3. Pregnancy
4. Smoking
5. Kidney failure
Some types of exercise can make diabetic retinopathy worse.
If the patient has retinopathy, the doctor is consulted before an exercise is started.
Other eye problems that can develop in persons with diabetes are:
1. Cataract - cloudiness of the eye lens
2. Glaucoma - increased pressure in the eye that can lead to blindness
3. Macular edema - blurry vision due to fluid leaking into the area of the retina that provides sharp central vision
4. Retinal detachment - scarring in the eye may cause part of the retina to pull away from the back of the eyeball
High blood sugar or changes in blood sugar level frequently result in blurred vision.
The lens in the middle of the eye is unable to transform its shape even when too much sugar and water is present in the lens so the lens becomes less clear.
This is not the same problem as diabetic retinopathy.
What are the Symptoms of Diabetes Retinopathy?
Most frequently, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms in the early stages of Diabetes Retinopathy until the damage to the eyes is severe.
This is because damage can occur in much of the retina before the vision is involved.
Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy are:
1. Blurred vision and slow vision loss over time
2. Floaters
3. Shadows or missing areas of vision
4. Trouble seeing at night
5. Dark clouds in the field of vision due to bleeding in the eye
Many people with early diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms until bleeding happens in the eye.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Diabetes Retinopathy
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapte
