Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the complications that develop due to diabetes. Diabetes, which is characterized by high blood sugar, can cause involvement in many organs, including the eyes, if not controlled. Uncontrolled blood sugar for a long time can cause damage to nerves and blood vessels over time.

diabetic-retinopathy

< p>Diabetic retinopathy usually does not show any symptoms in the early stages. However, as the disease progresses, it may cause health problems such as vision loss and night blindness. Whether diabetes causes problems in the retinal vessels can be easily detected during a routine eye examination. Therefore, it is important for people with diabetes to have an eye examination at least once a year. In cases of diabetic retinopathy diagnosed at an early stage, the progression of the disease can be prevented by controlling blood sugar. However, if diabetes-related retinopathy progresses and causes problems such as macular edema, different treatment options such as laser treatment are used. You can read the rest of the article for detailed information about diabetic retinopathy symptoms, diagnosis and treatment methods.

What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is a common condition in people with diabetes. It is an eye disease. According to some studies, one of the most important causes of vision loss, especially in working-age adults, is diabetic retinopathy. However, health problems such as high blood pressure, insulin resistance, disruption of fatty acid and protein metabolism can also cause retinopathy.

The retina is the layer at the back of the eye that sends signals to the brain through nerve cells for vision to occur. There are many blood vessels on the retina of the eye. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause damage to retinal vessels. This damage can cause problems such as bleeding, blockage, and the formation of abnormal blood vessels in the retinal vessels. Accordingly, visual impairments such as blurred vision and sensitivity to light may occur over time.

Diabetic Retinopathy Symptoms

Diabetic retinopathy may not have any symptoms in the early stages. Temporary vision problems may occur in the early stages of the disease. When these problems are noticed, it is important to consult a specialist doctor without delay. This eye disease, which is not treated early, may cause more serious symptoms in the future. Symptoms of retinopathy can be listed as follows:

Sudden loss of vision,
Blurred vision,
Sensitivity to light,
With prescription glasses vision problems that cannot be corrected,
Dark images resembling a spider web,
Feeling of objects and dots floating in front of the eye,
While doing daily activities such as reading, watching television, driving a car strain

The symptoms listed above are symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. In addition, if retinal damage progresses, a problem called macular edema may occur in the macular layer, which is responsible for color vision and where the rays coming into the eye are focused. Over time, this damage to the parts responsible for visual function can lead to serious vision loss.

diabetic-retinopathy

What are the Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy, nonproliferative retinopathy and proliferative retinopathy It is examined in two main classes: According to the severity of symptoms, it is divided into different stages: mild, moderate, severe and severe retinopathy. The stages of diabetic retinopathy are as follows:

First stage (mild nonproliferative retinopathy):This stage is the first stage of retinopathy. At this stage, small enlargements (microaneurysms) may be seen in the retinal vessels. Small retinal hemorrhages may also be seen at this stage. Studies show that the risk of developing advanced stage retinopathy in people diagnosed with mild nonproliferative retinopathy is 5% within 1 year, and this risk is 15% within 5 years. Although temporary vision problems may occur in the first stage, no additional treatment is needed most of the time. Controlling blood sugar in diabetes-related retinopathy can help prevent the progression of the disease.
Second stage (moderate nonproliferative retinopathy): Unlike the first stage, there are more microaneurysms and hemorrhages in the retina at this stage. is encountered. In addition, more swelling and congestion in the retinal vessels may begin in the middle stage.
Third stage (severe nonproliferative retinopathy):In this stage, the dilations in the vessels increase and bleeding occurs in almost all quadrants of the retinal layer. is encountered. It is also seen that abnormal blood vessels appear more frequently at this stage.
Fourth stage (proliferative retinopathy): In this stage, new blood vessels develop on the surface of the retina and on the optic disc. These new veins are quite delicate and prone to bleeding. In addition, new blood vessels can block the flow of fluid within the eye, causing damage to the optic nerves and increased eye pressure, also called glaucoma.

Retinopathy is progressive if not treated early and can cause more serious vision problems. At any stage of retinopathy, fluid accumulation may occur in the middle part of the retina, called the macula, due to damage to the retinal vessels. This condition, also known as macular edema, can cause vision loss.

diabetic-retinopathy

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Diabetic Retinopathy How Is It Diagnosed?

Diabetic retinopathy can be noticed during a routine eye examination. During this examination, if the ophthalmologist deems it necessary, the pupil can be enlarged with the help of eye drops and the fundus and retina can be examined in detail. In addition, imaging methods such as fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography can also be used in the diagnosis of retinopathy. These diagnostic methods allow detailed examination of the retina and retinal vessels. In this way, the specialist ophthalmologist can easily detect abnormal blood vessels and the amount of fluid leaking into the retina tissue.

Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment

Early diagnosis is very important in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. Treatment methods vary depending on the stage of retinopathy. In cases of mild to moderate nonproliferative retinopathy, no treatment may usually be required. However, it is important to keep diabetes under control to prevent the progression of retinopathy. Therefore, the diabetic retinopathy treatment procedure is carried out with a multidisciplinary approach in which the ophthalmologist and the internal medicine specialist act together. In the early stages of retinopathy, no treatment is usually required other than regular eye examination. If diabetic retinopathy progresses, different treatment options are used depending on the problems in the retina layer. The main treatment methods used in the treatment of retinopathy can be listed as follows:

Injection therapy: Injection therapy is frequently used in the treatment of retinopathy. In this treatment method, medications injected into the eye can help prevent and/or stop the formation of new blood vessels in the retina. At the same time, injection treatment can help prevent or stop fluid accumulation in the macular layer in case of macular edema.
Laser treatment:One of the most commonly used methods in the treat