Diabetic Retinopathy
What is diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of blindness in adults. Diabetes is becoming increasingly coming a common problem in developing countries. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid, in others abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina and tend to bleed into the eye. The retina is a light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, necessary for good vision.
What are the causes of diabetic retinopathy?
People with diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Nearly all type 1 diabetic patients develop retinopathy after 20 years of the disease and to 21% of patients with type 2 diabetes have retinopathy at the time of first diagnosis of diabetes, and most develop some degree of retinopathy over time. Risk factors include a long duration of diabetes, poorly controlled blood sugar levels, overweight, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, pregnancy, and smoking.
What cures diabetic retinopathy?
During the early stages of diabetic retinopathy no treatment is needed. At later stages abnormal blood vessels are treated with laser surgery, causing the new blood vessels to shrink. In case bleeding of burst blood vessels is severe, a surgical procedure called victrectomy is needed, where blood is removed from the centre of the eye.
What prevents diabetic retinopathy?
To prevent diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes should control their blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and not smoke
