Woodlands Eye CenterWhat is Diabetic Retinopathy ? |
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Vision of Normal Eye
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Vision of Diabetic Retinopathy
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( Photos Copyright of National Eye Institute )
What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease. As diabetes affects the blood vessels throughout the body, the retina – which needs a rich supply of blood – is also affected. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision. Although at first, you may notice no changes to your vision, over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse, eventually causing vision loss affecting both eyes.
What Can I Do To Protect My Vision?
If you have diabetes get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. At The Woodlands Eye Center we will gladly carry out such an exam for you, but remember:
* Proliferative retinopathy can develop without symptoms. At this advanced stage, you are at a high risk of vision loss.
* Macular edema can develop without symptoms at any of the stages of diabetic retinopathy.
* You can develop both proliferative retinopathy and macular edema and still see fine. However, you are at high risk of vision loss
* Your eye care professional can tell if you have macular edema or any stage of diabetic retinopathy. Whether or not you have symptoms, early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss
* If you have diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye exam more often. People with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by 95 percent with timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care.
( source : National Eye Institute )