Diabetic Eye Disease
"Diabetic retinopathy is a condition occurring in persons with diabetes, which causes progressive damage to the retina, the light sensitive lining at the back of the eye. It is a serious sight-threatening complication of diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that interferes with the body's ability to use and store sugar, which can cause many health problems. Too much sugar in the blood can cause damage throughout the body, including the eyes. Over time, diabetes affects the circulatory system of the retina. Diabetic retinopathy is the result of damage to the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina. They leak blood and other fluids that cause swelling of retinal tissue and clouding of vision. The condition usually affects both eyes. The longer a person has diabetes, the more likely they will develop diabetic retinopathy. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include: Seeing spots or floaters in your field of vision Blurred vision Having a dark or empty spot in the center of your vision Difficulty seeing well at night In patients with diabetes, prolonged periods of high blood sugar can lead to the accumulation of fluid in the lens inside the eye that controls eye focusing. This changes the curvature of the lens and results in the development of symptoms of blurred vision. The blurring of distance vision as a result of lens swelling will subside once the blood sugar levels are brought under control. Better control of blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes also slows the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Often there are no visual symptoms in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. That is why the American Optometric Association recommends that everyone with diabetes have a comprehensive dilated eye ex Continue reading >>
Floaters, Retinal Tears, And Retinal Detachments
What are Floaters? What Causes Floaters? What Should You Do if You Notice Floaters? How are Floaters Treated? How are Retinal Tears Treated? How are Retinal Detachments Treated? More about Surgery What Are Floaters? As their name implies, floaters are usually small, black shapes that look like spots, squiggles, or threads, and "float about" in one's vision. They generally move as the eyes move, and are most noticeable against a plain bright background, such as a white or light-colored wall. What Causes Floaters? There are a number of conditions and changes within the eye that can cause floaters. These are the most common: Changes in the vitreous: The inside of the back part of the eye is filled with a jelly-like substance called vitreous. The vitreous is attached to the retina, which is the thin, light-sensitive tissue that lines the inside surface of the eye. Much like the film of a camera, cells in the retina convert incoming light into electrical impulses. These electrical impulses are carried by the optic nerve to the brain, which finally interprets them as visual images. As an individual ages, the jelly-like vitreous becomes more liquefied and areas of the vitreous can condense and acquire a "stringy" consistency. These strings or strands of vitreous can be perceived as floaters. Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD): As the vitreous liquefies, it also shrinks and pulls away from the retina. This process is called a posterior vitreous detachment, or PVD. Many people develop posterior vitreous detachments and never experience symptoms, whereas others may notice new floaters. In general, a vitreous detachment is not considered an ocular emergency. The vitreous: A side view of the eye with the vitreous gel (in blue) filling the inside of the back part of the eye and att Continue reading >>
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Slideshow: Diabetic Retinopathy And Other Diabetes Eye Problems
Yes. You should plan to make regular eye doctor visits when you have diabetes. High blood sugar can lead to problems like blurry vision, cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy. In fact, diabetes is the primary cause of blindness in adults ages 20 to 74. Don't buy new glasses as soon as you notice that things look blurry. It could just be a small problem caused by high blood sugar. Your lens could swell, which changes your ability to see. To correct it, you need to get your blood sugar back into the target range (70-130 milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL, before meals, and less than 180 mg/dL 1 to 2 hours after a meal). It may take as long as 3 months for your vision to fully get back to normal. Do tell your eye doctor. She can let you know if this is a symptom of a more serious problem. The lens allows your eye to see and focus on an image, just like a camera. Cataracts cloud your normally clear lens with debris. Anyone can get them, but people with diabetes tend to get them earlier, and they get worse faster. When part of your lens is cloudy, your eye can’t focus like it should. You won't see as well. Symptoms include blurred vision and glare. You’ll need surgery to remove a cataract. The doctor replaces the cloudy lens with an artificial one. Pressure builds up inside your eye when fluid can’t drain like it should. This can damage nerves and blood vessels, and cause changes in vision. Medications can treat open-angle glaucoma, the most common form. They lower eye pressure, speed up drainage, and reduce the amount of liquid your eye makes. (Your doctor will call this aqueous humor.) *CGM-based treatment requires fingersticks for calibration, if patient is taking acetaminophen, or if symptoms/expectations do not match CGM readings, and if not performed, may result i Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is a common disease in which blood-sugar levels are chronically too high. The disease has many related complications, and several eye diseases among them. The most common eye complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of adult blindness. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood-sugar levels affect the functionality of blood vessels in the retina (light-sensing cells in the eye). In early phases of the disease, capillaries will leak blood or fluid. This can cause swelling in the retina (which may result in blurring of central vision), and it can leak into the vitreous humor (the fluid surrounding the retina) causing floaters or obscuring vision. During the beginning stage serious vision damage is less likely, however, it can lead to a more advanced stage of the disease, called proliferative diabetic retinopathy. In this form, blood vessels in the retina actually close off. New blood vessels grow to make up for the lack of blood flow to the retina. The new blood vessels unfortunately are accompanied by scarring and more leakage. This can lead to serious vision loss and blindness. Early symptoms of diabetic retinopathy may include: Decreased night vision. Floaters or obscuring vision. Blurry vision. The condition can typically be diagnosed by an ophthalmologist during an eye exam, long before noticeable vision symptoms occur and when more treatment options are still available. Thus it is very important for those suffering from diabetes to have regular eye exams, to monitor for diabetic retinopathy and other complications. Treatment: Treatments for diabetic retinopathy vary based upon the nature and progression of the condition. The best way to preserve good vision is to vigilantly control blood-sugar levels, lessening Continue reading >>
Floaters In The Eye. What Are They?
Floaters are little cobwebs shapes or specks that float around in your field of vision. Eye floaters are small, dark, shadowy shapes in the vision. They can look like spots, thread-like strands, or squiggly lines. They move as your eyes move and seem to dart away when you try to look at them directly. They do not follow your eye movements precisely, and usually drift when your eyes stop moving. In most cases, floaters are part of the natural aging process and simply an annoyance. They can be distracting at first, but eventually tend to settle at the bottom of the eye, becoming less bothersome. Although floaters usually come to a rest below the line of sight, they do not go away completely. Most people have floaters and learn to ignore them. They are usually not noticed until they become numerous or more prominent. They can suddenly appear when looking at something bright, such as white paper or a blue sky. Floaters develop when the vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills about 80 percent of the inside of the eyeball and helps maintain its round shape, slowly shrinks. As the vitreous shrinks, it becomes somewhat stringy, and the strands can cast tiny shadows on the retina. These are floaters. Eye floaters are more likely to develop as we age and are more common in people who are very nearsighted, have diabetes, or who have had a cataract operation or other eye surgeries. There are other, more serious causes, including infection, inflammation, bleeding, retinal tears, and injury to the eye. Sometimes a section of the vitreous pulls the fine fibers away from the retina all at once, rather than gradually, causing many new floating spots to appear suddenly. This is called a posterior vitreous detachment or PVD. Click here to watch a vitreous detachment movie In most cases, Continue reading >>
Retinal Detachment
Separation of the retina from the layer of cells behind it. The retina is a light-sensitive layer of tissue lining the inside of the eye; it sends visual signals to the brain. Detachment of the retina may cause permanent blindness and should be regarded as a medical emergency. So-called tractional retinal detachment can occur in advanced stages of the common complication of diabetes known as diabetic retinopathy. (A detached retina may also result from a tear in the retina or from injury or inflammation of the eye.) In diabetic retinopathy, uncontrolled blood glucose levels damage the small blood vessels called capillaries within the retina, causing changes in blood flow and weakening blood vessel walls. The weakened walls can allow blood or fluid to leak into the retina. Diabetic retinopathy begins as a relatively mild condition known as nonproliferative, or background, retinopathy, in which the retina receives less blood and nourishment. If not treated, the eye may compensate for this lack of blood supply by growing abnormal new blood vessels on the retina. This growth of new blood vessels, called neovascularization, is the hallmark of the advanced stage known as proliferative retinopathy. These abnormal new blood vessels — which may also grow into the vitreous, the jellylike substance that fills the inside of the eye — tend to bleed and leak fluid into the vitreous. Blood leaking into the vitreous can give rise to “floaters” and in severe cases may blur or block vision. Floaters, which can range in size from small specks to large dark spots, are a common occurrence even in people without retinopathy. But if they appear suddenly, or become more numerous, or if you see light flashes, you should have your eyes checked by a doctor. If the new blood vessels that f Continue reading >>
How Can I Treat Floaters From Diabetic Retinopathy?
Answer: If you are diabetic, you are already likely aware of the effects it can have on your vision. Diabetic retinopathy is a condition associated with diabetes that involves progressive damage to the retina - and left untreated, it can increase the likelihood of developing other vision problems such as cataracts or glaucoma. Eventually, it can result in the loss of your eyesight. Fortunately with regular monitoring and treatment, you can help to minimise the effects of diabetic retinopathy and preserve your vision.It is important to understand what symptoms to look for so that you can alert your optometrist of any changes. One common thing that you may notice is eye floaters, or spots, in your field of vision. These are caused by the shadows of tiny bits of debris moving around in the vitreous, the gel-like watery substance within your eye. While seeing floaters from time to time is part of the natural ageing process as the consistency of the retina changes, you will want to call your optometrist for a check-up if you begin to notice them - especially if you have diabetic retinopathy or you notice showers of spots and light flashes. Individuals with diabetic retinopathy are more prone to certain eye complications, including retina damage. Your optometrist can help you assess the situation and ensure you take the appropriate action to protect your vision and safeguard your eye health.The sudden presence of floaters can be a sign of retinal tear or detachment, which may require surgery to correct. This should be treated as an emergency and you should contact your optometrist right away to determine the next steps in your treatment.Because diabetic retinopathy is a progressive condition, being proactive about your eye health can help to preserve your sight in the long-te Continue reading >>
Flashes, Floaters And Haloes
Flashes and floaters are common symptoms which often affect normal eyes. They usually occur because of changes that happen in the jelly-like substance inside the eye (the vitreous humour). The most common causes need no treatment and tend to settle by themselves. However, flashes and floaters can occasionally be warning symptoms of retinal detachment. Haloes are bright circles which seem to surround a source of light. They are also referred to as glare. They are common, particularly in older people. They can be unpleasant and uncomfortable and lead to temporary dazzling which may particularly affect driving at night. They can sometimes be a sign of underlying eye conditions like glaucoma. What are flashes? Experiencing flashes in the eye, often at the edges of vision, is fairly common. Each flash, which can vary from a bright light to almost a sparkle, lasts a varying length of time. Periods of flashing can go on for several months. The symptoms are often most noticeable when going from a light to a dark room. What causes flashes? Flashes are most commonly due to changes in the vitreous humour. The vitreous humour is the jelly-like substance which fills the inside of the eye, between the lens and the retina. The vitreous humour is contained in a fine membrane and this is attached to the retina at the back and the lens at the front. As we age, the vitreous humour shrinks and as it does so it can pull on the retina. This can cause flashes as the pulling sends signals to the seeing nerve (optic nerve). Eventually the vitreous tends to pull right off the retina, a condition called posterior vitreous detachment. This condition is harmless in itself and happens to most people as they age. The vitreous is detached from the retina in 75% of people over 65 and this is usually ha Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment | Retinal Detachment Surgery Louisville Ky
Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the eye's retina that occurs from complications of long term diabetes resulting in damage to the blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. People with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are at risk for this condition. According to the National Eye Institute, up to 45% of adults diagnosed with diabetes in the United States have some degree of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans. Diabetics are often likely to develop retinopathy due to the fact that their bodies cannot use or store sugar properly. Consequently, when the blood sugar gets too high, it can damage the blood vessels in the eyes leading to diabetic retinopathy. In fact, the longer someone has diabetes, the more likely they are to develop diabetic retinopathy. Furthermore, abnormal blood vessels can grow on the iris, which can lead to glaucoma. Take prevention seriously. Start by scheduling yearly eye exams and controlling your blood sugar level. Everyone who has diabetes is at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy however, not all diabetics actually do develop it. In its early stages, diabetics may not notice any change in vision, but it can eventually lead to the sight-threatening form of the disease later on. A person can have diabetic retinopathy and not know it. So, it is very important that everyone with diabetes have regular eye exams. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy may include: Blindness, vision loss Blurred vision Floaters (spots floating in your vision) Shadows or missing areas of vision Dark streaks or a red film that blocks your vision Poor night vision Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes. Double vision can be a sign of diabetic retinopathy. I Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy | Thomasville Ga | Moultrie Ga | Tallahassee Fl
Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes affecting over half of Americans diagnosed with the disease. As a result of the body’s inability to use and store sugars, the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina are affected. Damage to the retina, the light sensitive tissue lining the back portion of the eye that transmits visual images to the brain, can result in severe loss of vision and ultimately blindness. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people under the age of 65. A diabetic is 10-15 times more apt to go blind than a nondiabetic. Fluctuation in blood sugar levels in diabetic patients leads to an increased risk in diabetic retinopathy. In the early stages, vessels in the retina swell and begin to leak into surrounding tissue. Vision is rarely affected during this stage. In the more advanced stages, new blood vessels begin to grow on the retina. These abnormal blood vessels cause blurred vision, resulting in the formation of scar tissue which can lead to permanent vision loss. Symptoms range from none at all in the early stages, to blurry or fluctuating vision affecting both side and central vision. Spots, which are small specks of blood, often appear in your vision. As the leakage progresses, vision becomes cloudy and blind spots can occur. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness. Diabetic retinopathy can be detected during a comprehensive eye examination during which your eye doctor examines the health of your retina using specialized instruments and lenses. Once detected, your doctor may recommend additional testing to assess the progression of the disease and determine treatment. Individuals who have been diagnosed with diabetes or have a family history of the disease should have their eyes examine Continue reading >>
Retinal Conditions
Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetes mellitus is a disorder that is caused by a deficiency in insulin (Type 1) or an inability of existing insulin (Type 2 ) to keep blood sugars under control. Over time patients with diabetes, especially those with poorly controlled blood sugar may develop eye, kidney, heart, nerve and skin problems. In the eye, diabetes mainly affects the retina and causes diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes affects small blood vessels all over the body and makes them abnormally leaky. In the retina, capillaries (the tiniest of blood vessels) that supply nutrients and remove waste products become leaky and allow contents of blood (serum, lipids, and blood cells) to leak into the retina, causing the retina to swell (edema). This stage of retinopathy is called non-proliferative or background retinopathy. When swelling occurs in the macula (the part of the retina responsible for color and fine vision), vision becomes blurred and permanent damage can occur to the retina. Your retina specialist will examine your eye to determine if there is swelling in the macula that requires treatment (clinically significant macular edema). Treatment can be performed with laser in the office and may be repeated one or more times over the course of the lifetime of the patient. In some cases injections of steroid into the eye may be performed to help reduce swelling. In severe cases, vitrectomy surgery (removal of the vitreous gel) may be necessary, especially if laser and steroids have failed. In more severe cases of diabetic retinopathy, leaky capillaries may become permanently damaged and may not work at all. This capillary damage results in lack of blood flow to sections of the retina (ischemia). Ischemia results in the production of chemical messengers in the retina that lead to d Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. This condition causes progressive damage to the retina, the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye, and if left untreated can potentially cause blindness. Diabetic retinopathy can develop in anyone who has type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. The longer a patient has had diabetes and the less controlled the blood sugar, the more likely one is to develop diabetic retinopathy. Symptoms include: Seeing spots or floaters in your field of vision Blurred vision Having a dark or empty spot in the center of your vision Difficulty seeing well at night Diabetes Diabetes mellitus is the inability of the body to use and store sugar properly, resulting in high blood sugar levels. It results in changes in the body's veins, arteries and capillaries which in turn affect the body's ability to produce the insulin needed to control blood sugar levels. How Diabetes affects vision? Diabetes may cause: Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR) NPDR is also called background diabetic retinopathy and is the earliest stage of diabetic retinopathy. With NPDR, damaged blood vessels in the retina leak extra fluid and small amounts of blood into the eye. Cholesterol or other fat deposits from blood, called hard exudates, may leak into retina. With NPDR, your central vision is affected by any of the following: Hard exudates on the central retina (macula) Microaneurysms (small bulges in blood vessels of the retina that often leak fluid) Retinal hemorrhages (tiny spots of blood that leak into the retina) Macular edema (swelling/thickening of macula) Macular ischemia (closing of small blood vessels/capillaries) Click here to view a vision simulator for patients experiencing sympto Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that occurs in people who have diabetes. It causes progressive damage to the retina, the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy is a serious sight-threatening complication of diabetes. Diabetes interferes with the body's ability to use and store sugar (glucose). The disease is characterized by too much sugar in the blood, which can cause damage throughout the body, including the eyes. Over time, diabetes damages the blood vessels in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when these tiny blood vessels leak blood and other fluids. This causes the retinal tissue to swell, resulting in cloudy or blurred vision. The condition usually affects both eyes. The longer a person has diabetes, the more likely they will develop diabetic retinopathy. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include: Seeing spots or floaters Blurred vision Having a dark or empty spot in the center of your vision Difficulty seeing well at night When people with diabetes experience long periods of high blood sugar, fluid can accumulate in the lens inside the eye that controls focusing. This changes the curvature of the lens, leading to blurred vision. However, once blood sugar levels are controlled, blurred distance vision will improve. Patients with diabetes who can better control their blood sugar levels will slow the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Often the early stages of diabetic retinopathy have no visual symptoms. That is why the American Optometric Association recommends that everyone with diabetes have a comprehensive dilated eye examination once a year. Early detection and treatment can limit the potential for significant vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. T Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy
- Did you know that diabetes is the most common cause of blindness in individuals from the ages of 25 to 65? And blindness can be caused by multiple different complications associated with diabetes including glaucoma and cataracts, however in this tutorial, let's discuss the most common cause of blindness due to diabetes which is a condition known as diabetic retinopathy. And if we break down the term, we can receive generally, an understanding of what this disease is, so you have retino here meaning the retina, and pathy meaning disease. So, diabetic retinopathy is a disease of the retina that's caused by diabetes. And to describe what the retina is, let's bring in a diagram of the eye and go through some of the structures as it will help us as we learn more about this condition. Over here on the left, we have a cross-section of the eye and there's a few important structures to note. So this is the front of the eye here, and this is the back of the eye, and this part right here is known as the cornea. And it is where light initially passes through as it goes through the eye, and then it hits this structure right here, which is known as the lens. And the lens focuses the light on this structure in the back of the eye, this kind of brownish structure, and this is the retina. And then exiting the back of the eye here, this is the optic nerve. Then, you can also see all of these blood vessels that are traveling through the retina and then exit the back of the eye in the middle of the optic nerve. So if you look over here on the right, this is a front view of the eye. So this is kind of what it looks like when a doctor looks in to your eye. So here, right here we have what's called the optic disc, and the optic disc is really just the convergence of the retina and where it Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy
On this page: Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy • DR symptoms • Types of diabetic eye disease • Who gets diabetic retinopathy? • Minorities and diabetic eye disease • When is DR a disability? • Eye exam assistance program • Prevention • Diabetic retinopathy videos Diabetic retinopathy — vision-threatening damage to the retina of the eye caused by diabetes — is the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans. The good news: Diabetic retinopathy often can be prevented with early detection, proper management of your diabetes and routine eye exams performed by your optometrist or ophthalmologist. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the United States has the highest rate of diabetes among 38 developed nations, with approximately 30 million Americans — roughly 11 percent of the U.S. population between the ages of 20 and 79 — having the disease. About 90 percent of Americans with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which develops when the the body fails to produce enough insulin — a hormone secreted by the pancreas that enables dietary sugar to enter the cells of the body — or the body becomes resistant to insulin. This causes glucose (sugar) levels in the bloodstream to rise and can eventually damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include obesity, an unhealthful diet and physical inactivity. Unfortunately, the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes has increased significantly in the United States over the past 30 years. According to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in December 2015, there were 1.4 million new cases of diabetes reported in the U.S. in 2014. Though this annual number is d Continue reading >>
