Diabetes
Diabetes is a common condition in which the body cannot regulate blood sugar levels, leading to spikes and drops in sugar levels. This can damage many body organs, including the eyes. Many people with diabetes struggle with diabetic eye disease, which can cause pain, impaired vision, and sometimes total sight loss. The good news is that this condition can be managed in most cases.
Understanding Diabetes
Diabetes is a medical condition characterized by the body's inability to regulate blood sugar. In a normal and healthy human being, the body can regulate blood sugar, ensuring that our sugar levels never go beyond a certain point. However, when people have diabetes, they are unable to perform this function. This means the body sees blood sugar spikes depending on various factors such as diet, stress, and much more. When this happens, certain structures in our bodies, such as blood vessels in the retina, may get damaged. This, in turn, affects the patient’s eyesight and could lead to complete loss of sight.
Diabetic eye disease is a specific condition where high sugar levels in the body lead to damage in the retina, particularly the light-sensitive tissue located at the back of the eyes. When this happens, patients can end up with very fragile blood vessels in the retina, which may even be easily ruptured and bleed. Another condition that results from diabetes is macular edema, where the central part of the retina or the macula swells and affects one’s vision. Another aspect of diabetes is that it can lead to cataracts. This condition affects the lens in the eyes. Proteins in the lens clump together, making the otherwise clear lens opaque. This, in turn, affects vision, with your eyesight becoming blurrier as the disease progresses. Finally, diabetes is linked with a higher risk of glaucoma, which can also lead to the loss of vision if left untreated.
In the early stages of this condition, there often are no discernable symptoms. However, as diabetic eye disease progresses, patients will notice blurred vision, floaters or dark spots that appear in their vision, poor night vision, and more. Even though diabetic eye disease has no discernable symptoms during its early stages, it can be detected during a routine eye exam. This is why regular eye checkups are vital if you want to keep this condition at bay. Like most medical conditions, early detection is key to limiting the damage this condition could cause.
When Do You Need Diabetes Treatment?
Since several eye conditions can arise from diabetes, treatment for these conditions varies. Your doctor might recommend laser treatment or photocoagulation, which seals leaking blood vessels in the eyes. This approach to treatment can also help shrink swollen blood vessels and improve vision. Medication such as corticosteroids can also help shrink blood vessels in the eyes and inhibit the growth of abnormal blood vessels.
Another approach to treating diabetic eye disease is a vitrectomy. This surgical procedure removes the gel-like substance that fills the eyes and arises from bleeding blood vessels or scar tissue.
Why Choose Columbia Eye Associates, PA?
Columbia Eye Associates offers excellent diabetic eye treatment options at an affordable price. We are a highly experienced eye clinic with a team of skilled specialists. We are well-versed in modern eye treatment approaches and have cutting-edge equipment to help you achieve the desired results.
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