Diabetic Retinopathy in Durham

Experiencing changes in vision, such as blurriness and eye floaters?

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of vision loss around the world. Of an estimated 285 million people with diabetes mellitus worldwide, approximately one-third have signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Fortunately, there are several steps people with diabetes can take to prevent or minimize vision loss.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease caused by high blood sugar levels that damage the small blood vessels clustered within your retina. This leads to swelling or fluid leakage and can result in vision loss and even blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy also raises the risk of retinal detachment and/or glaucoma.

Because the early stages of diabetic retinopathy show no symptoms, many don’t realize they have it until the disease has progressed.

If you have diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. To reduce your risk and protect your vision, schedule an eye exam with Durham Family Eye Care today.

As mentioned above, the early phase of diabetic retinopathy typically shows no symptoms. This is why it’s important to have routine eye exams (all the more so if you have diabetes), as your eye doctor can detect diabetic retinopathy in its earlier stages before symptoms become apparent.

Symptoms of proliferative diabetic retinopathy include:

• Blurred vision
• Floaters
• Double vision
• Near vision problems
• Seeing dark spots (scotomas)
• Difficulty seeing at night

Non-Proliferative Retinopathy (early stage):
This occurs when small bulges—or microaneurysms—form in blood vessels and can leak fluid into the retina.

Proliferative Retinopathy (later phase):
This refers to abnormal vessel growth and leakage in the retina. This triggers a variety of vision problems such as blurriness, reduced field of vision, and even blindness.

If you have diabetes, Durham Family Eye Care in Durham offers diagnostic tests and treatment options to help preserve your vision. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the treatment outcome.

• Medical history

  Your optometrist will ask about your medical history, including diabetes, as well as your family history of eye conditions.

• Dilated pupil exam

  Your optometrist will apply eye drops to dilate the pupils so they can see inside the eye and detect any issues.

• Fluorescein angiography

  This eye test uses a special dye and camera to look at blood flow in the retina and choroid.

• Optical coherence tomography

  This imaging method shows a cross-section of the retina and can indicate whether vessels are leaking fluid into the retina.

Treatment begins with managing blood sugar levels and diabetes. This means eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and taking whatever diabetes medication has been prescribed.

Other treatments will depend on the stage or severity of the disease. If caught early, only blood sugar management may be necessary.

However, if you’re in a more advanced stage of the disease, treatment options may include:

• Eye medications. Steroid and Anti-VEGF treatments can stop inflammation and prevent the formation of new blood vessels.
• Laser surgery. Reduces the proliferation of abnormal blood vessels and swelling in the retina.
• Vitrectomy. If you have proliferative diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye surgery called vitrectomy. This procedure removes scar tissue, blood or fluid, and some of the vitreous gel so light rays can better focus on the retina.

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.