Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Diabetic Retinopathy Stages And Treatment

By Cynthia Gibson


A significant number of persons around the world have in one way or another been affected by diabetes. It has been seen that people suffering from the ailment can live long, as long as they discover it early enough and maintain it well. It is quite deadly however if you do not live right, and maintain blood sugar levels as necessary. A condition diabetic retinopathy arises from having this disease.

This is a condition that occurs when the retina of the eye gets damaged due to diabetes. The blood vessels of the tissue sensitive to light found at the back of the eye are affected by high blood sugar levels. The effect may be the vessels swelling, leaking or growth of new abnormal ones. All these can lead to permanent loss of sight if not looked into.

This condition is characterized by two significant stages that are experienced by everyone who has the ailment diabetes in Bethesda, MD. Diabetic blindness starts slowly giving no signs to the sick one while at other points his or her vision may be affected mildly which after sometime cause total loss of sight. Someone who discovers this problem early and fights it immediately stands a better chance of retaining their vision and the best way to do so is have regular eye tests.

Stage one of this visionary ailment is called non-proliferative. No symptoms to very little can be seen here. A major characteristic of this point is blurry vision as well as distorted or darkened images. There is a possibility of these images looking different in both eyes, usually caused by swelling of the retina due to blood vessels leaking. Macular edema is the name of the swelling process.

Another occurrence at the non-proliferative stage is that blood vessels close off, preventing flow into the macula part of the eye. This occurrence is known as macular ischemia. Tiny particles referred to as exudates sometimes also form in the retinal part of the eye. Eye specialists use a process called fundus photography to see the blockages and leakages thus determining first stage of the condition.

The medical term for second stage of this condition is proliferative stage. It is more advanced than the first one with a different occurrence. New blood vessels that are very fragile grow in retina of the eye. Neovascularization is the name of such occurrence. These abnormal vessels bleed in vitreous. The level of damage depends on how much the bleeding is. Much causes total block of sight while little just causes dark floaters. They are also responsible for scar tissue formation and retina detach.

Bethesda, MD hailers with this problem lose their central or side vision or both. The process of testing for the second stage is by use of funduscopic exam. Treatment is then decided by choosing from the three available methods. Success of the method will be dictated by how far the patient was into the condition. The earlier they do the higher are chances of success.

The methods include administering laser surgery, vitrectomy and injection of corticosteroids into the eye. Although these treatment methods are proven to work, they do not cure the condition but rather help to manage it and prevent loss of vision. Therefore the best way to fight it is to monitor your diabetes very well and ensure healthy eating and living habits. This will allow timely detecting of problems as they arise.




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