When you hear the words, “diabetic eye disease” do you know what it refers to? Would you be surprised to hear that it actually refers to a group of eye problems as opposed to just one eye problem? Diabetic eye disease categorises a group of eye problems that are faced by those suffering with diabetes, all of which may lead to a severe amount of vision loss or even total blindness. Diabetic eye disease can include glaucoma, which happens as a result of an increase in fluid pressure on the inside of the eye. This can lead to optic nerve damage and potential vision loss. Someone with diabetes will find themselves at a much bigger risk of glaucoma (almost twice as likely) than adults without diabetes. Diabetic eye disease …show more content…
At the very early stages of proliferative retinopathy you may see a few spots of blood almost appearing to float within your field of vision. If this happens then we strongly advise you see your eye care specialist as soon as possible. With this condition, you’ll find that you will usually require treatment before more serious bleeding occurs. Hemorrhages can often happen more than once and will likely happen during your sleep. There are rare cases in which the blood spots can clear and allow you to see better without treatment however, bleeding will usually reoccur and cause very severe blurred vision. At the first sign of blurred vision you should see your eye care specialist in order to prevent any further bleeding. If left untreated entirely then proliferative retinopathy will usually lead on to very severe vision loss and even blindness. The earlier you seek treatment, the more effective it will …show more content…
To prevent the inevitable progression of diabetic retinopathy, sufferers of diabetes are usually given help to control their blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. Proliferative retinopathy can also be treated with laser surgery using a particular type of surgery called scatter laser treatment. This treatment helps to shrink the abnormal blood vessels by placing the laser burns in the area of the retina away from the macular. This causes the abnormal blood vessels to shrink thus reducing the chances of abnormal blood vessels bleeding. Although you may still notice some peripheral vision loss, you’ll most definitely save the rest of your vision. If you’ve already experienced some form of bleeding, scatter laser treatment may still be beneficial although this will greatly depend on the amount of bleeding you’ve