Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy affects people with diabetes, a common condition caused by insulin deficiency. At offices in Melbourne, Merritt Island, Palm Bay, Titusville, and Rockledge, Florida, leading ophthalmologists Hetal Vaishnav, MD, Gary Ganiban, MD, and their colleagues at Atlantic Retina Consultants expertly diagnose and treat patients with diabetic retinopathy. They also offer routine screening to anyone with diabetes to identify the condition before it affects their sight. Call Atlantic Retina Consultants or go online to arrange diabetic retinopathy screening today.

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy affects your eyes and could cause sight loss. It can develop as a complication in people with diabetes, a common disease caused by problems with the use of insulin. This hormone moves sugar from the bloodstream to the cells for use as energy.

Insulin regulates the sugar levels in your blood. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t produce insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or can’t use what’s available (Type 2 diabetes). Consequently, your blood sugar can be too low or, more commonly, too high.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the many complications diabetes causes.

What kind of diabetic retinopathy might I have?

Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) is where damaged blood vessels in the retina begin leaking fluid and small amounts of blood. The blood vessels can also swell or become clogged.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a severe form of diabetic retinopathy. It happens if the blood vessels in your retina close up, preventing blood flow into your eye. Your retina reacts by growing new blood vessels to restore the blood supply; however, they’re delicate and likely to bleed.

The bleeding causes macular edema (swelling in a part of the retina), and scars are likely to develop. PDR affects central and peripheral (side) vision, so it might cause more severe sight loss than NPDR.

What symptoms does diabetic retinopathy cause?

Diabetic retinopathy often causes no symptoms until your eyes suffer irreversible damage. The first signs are usually blurry vision and seeing spots before your eyes.

Your Atlantic Retina Consultants eye doctor can examine your retinas using special eyedrops to dilate (open up) your pupils. This helps them see the changes diabetic retinopathy causes. Your eye doctor might also scan your retinas if they need to see them in greater detail.

How is diabetic retinopathy treated?

Treating diabetic retinopathy might require retinal laser therapy or corticosteroid injections into your eyeballs.

Retinal laser therapy or laser photocoagulation keeps the problem blood vessels in your eyes from leaking blood and fluids. It also prevents new blood vessels from forming.

Corticosteroid injections might sound alarming, but your eye doctor uses a very fine needle and completely numbs the eye. These injections reduce swelling and inflammation and prevent fluid leaking from abnormal or damaged retinal blood vessels.

You can reduce the risk of needing diabetic retinopathy treatment by managing your diabetes correctly and seeing your eye doctor regularly.

Call Atlantic Retina Consultants to discuss diabetic retinopathy symptoms or arrange your eye exam online today.