What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disorder that occurs in people with diabetes mellitus.
In diabetic retinopathy damages the retina. The retina is like a fleece on the inside of the eyeball. It becomes corrupted because the diabetes affects the blood vessels in the retina. This clogged or they leak. Sometimes new blood vessels. These new blood vessels are very weak and also go fast leaks. As a result, there is too little oxygen in the retina.
If the retina damage you will see less. Also you can see blurry. In case of serious damage, you can even become blind.
Diabetic retinopathy often in the beginning gives no complaints. However, your eye than damaged already. Therefore, you should regularly check your eyes checked by an eye doctor. Failure to do so can your eye damaged beyond repair.
The longer you have diabetes, the greater the chance of diabetic retinopathy. Even if you're not good ' set ', you have a greater chance of the drift. Setting means that your diet, medications (tablets and insulin) and movement are well tailored to your personal situation.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy often gives early no complaints. However, it can then all of damage to the eyes occur. It is therefore important that people with diabetes regularly checked their eyes.
At the control does the eye doctor probably drops in your eyes. This will temporarily your pupils dilate. The ophthalmologist may then well see if the retina is damaged.
By the eye drops you will see anything less well. This pulls after a few hours without saying.
Sometimes it is necessary to take pictures of your eyes. This research is called fluorescence angiography. To do this, you get dye in your arm. Then the doctor makes a series of pictures of your eyes. By the dye on the photos to see the veins in your eyes. The eye doctor so can see how bad the retina is damaged.
What Is The Treatment For Diabetic Retinopathy?
It is important to allow early treatment diabetic retinopathy. You can prevent serious damage to your eyes.
There are various treatments possible:
- At a laser treatment makes the ophthalmologist the leaky blood vessels close with a laser beam. This treatment lasts half an hour.
- There are already new, weak blood vessels arise? Then the eye doctor almost the entire retina. That takes much longer. To do this, you need to probably come back a few times.
- Sometimes people see something worse after a laser treatment. However, it is better to let your eye do lasering. Without treatment you see less and less.
- At a hemorrhage in the vitreous humor (part of the eye) gets you probably cryotherapy (freezing). The doctor freezes then the edges of the retina. So the new, weak blood vessels.
- Some bleeding treats the ophthalmologist with vitrectomy. The doctor retrieves a vitrectomy the vitreous road and replaces it by a liquid.