People battling diabetes can sometimes develop an eye condition called diabetic retinopathy. This is when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina. These blood vessels can swell and leak, or they can close, stopping blood from passing through. At times, abnormal, new blood vessels grown on the retina. All of these changes can steal your vision.
It is important to note that there are two main stages of diabetic eye disease i.e., Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). NPDR is the early stage of diabetic eye disease, and many people with diabetes have it.
With NPDR, tiny blood vessels leak, making the retina swell. This is the most common reason why people with diabetes lose their vision. Also with NPDR, blood vessels in the retina can close off. This is what is commonly referred to as macular ischemia. When that happens, blood can’t reach the macula. At times, tiny particles called exudated can form in the retina. This can also affect you vision. If you have NPDR, your vision will be blurry.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), on the other hand, is the more advanced stage of diabetic eye disease. It occurs when the retina starts growing new blood vessels. This is called vitreous. These fragile new vessels often bleed into the vitreous. If they only bleed a little, you might see a few dark floaters. If they bleed a lot, it might block all vision.
So, what happens when you have diabetic retinopathy. First, it is important to note that you might have diabetic retinopathy and not know it. That’s because it often has no symptoms during its early stages.
As diabetic retinopathy worsens, you will notice symptoms such as; seeing an increasing number of floaters, blurry vision, poor night vision, losing vision. Noticing colors appear faded or washed out, and having vision that changes sometimes from blurry to clear. Keep in mind diabetic retinopathy symptoms usually affect both eyes.
In conclusion, your treatment for diabetic retinopathy is based on what your ophthalmologist sees in your eyes. Treatment options may include medical control, medicine or laser surgery. The laser surgery might be used to help seal off leaking blood vessels to reduce swelling of the retina. Laser surgery also helps shrink blood vessels and prevent them from growing again. At times, more than one treatment might be required.