Diabetic retinopathy, as the name suggests, is the condition that occurs for diabetic persons when blood vessels break or new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina resulting in patches of blind spots. As is diabetics a killer disease, so is diabetic retinopathy because more often than not, there will not be any earlier symptoms or pain in this disease. But, as it progresses, the patient experiences blurred vision, blood spots in the vision, loss of vision, ultimately leading to total blindness, if not detected and treated in the earlier stages.
Since diabetes is a very common disease prevailing among people, the chances are high that a majority of them will be affected by diabetic retinopathy. In the US and UK diabetic retinopathy has become a major cause of blindness and therefore it is high time that an awareness is created among people about the severity and occurrence of the disease.
The progression of diabetic retinopathy can be divided into four stages. The first stage is mild non proliferative retinopathy which is the initial stage, in which the blood vessels of the retina starts swelling. The next stage is moderate non proliferative retinopathy wherein, some of the blood vessels of the retina make it blocked.
In the severe non proliferative retinopathy stage, more and more blood vessels get blocked and new blood vessels start growing in the retina. In the fourth and advanced stage of the disease, the new blood vessels having thin walls grow along the retina and the gel in the eye. When these blood vessels rupture, it may result in vision loss and blindness.
The unfortunate part is, there is low awareness about the severity of this disease. To prevent further complications, the first main step to be taken is to keep the blood sugar level under control at all times and secondly, annual eye examination has to be done without fail every year.
But once the disease is detected, the best treatment is laser photocoagulation which is a painless procedure involving a laser focused through the eye to destroy the unwanted blood vessels and preventing blood leaking.
Further some additional medication can be given by the doctor to strengthen the fragile capillaries, enhance micro circulation and stop thrombosis. About forty to forty five percent of diabetic persons are affected by diabetic retinopathy and almost everyone with type 1 diabetics and sixty percent with type2 diabetes are prone to this disease.
More than seventy percent of the diabetes persons develop some changes in their eyes within fifty years of diagnosis. Steroid injections are also given directly into the affected eye, though this is not approved by FDA and also has side effects like cataract, increased eye pressure and severe inflammation. Though there is no magic pill to cure this disease, at least it can be prevented through proper diet and regular exercise, keeping blood sugar level under control. Prevention is better than cure but if there is no cure, the only option left is to take care to prevent it.
