What Is Diabetic Retinopathy And How Does It Affect Your Eyes?

As we age, maintaining our health becomes increasingly important, especially if we have conditions like diabetes. One significant complication of diabetes that affects many older adults is diabetic retinopathy. At Claflin Eye Care, we understand the challenges of aging and managing diabetes, and we are here to help you protect your vision and eye health.

What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that affects the blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. It occurs when high blood sugar levels from diabetes cause damage to these blood vessels, leading to vision problems. Over time, this damage can progress, potentially causing severe vision loss or even blindness if not managed properly.

Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy progresses through four stages:

1. Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy: The earliest stage, characterized by small areas of swelling in the retinal blood vessels. These microaneurysms may leak fluid into the retina.
2. Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy: As the disease progresses, the blood vessels that nourish the retina become blocked, causing changes in the retinal tissue.
3. Severe Nonproliferative Retinopathy: More blood vessels become blocked, depriving several areas of the retina of their blood supply. These areas signal the body to grow new blood vessels.
4. Proliferative Retinopathy: The advanced stage where new, abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina. These vessels can leak blood into the vitreous gel in the center of the eye, causing vision impairment and potentially leading to retinal detachment.

How Diabetic Retinopathy Affects Your Eyes

Diabetic retinopathy can significantly impact your vision in several ways:

• Blurry Vision: As blood vessels in the retina become damaged and leak fluid, your vision may become blurry.
• Increased Floaters: Small spots or floaters may appear in your field of vision due to bleeding in the retina.
• Impaired Color Vision: Colors may appear faded or washed out.
• Dark or Empty Areas in Vision: You might experience dark or empty areas in your field of vision.
• Vision Loss: In severe cases, diabetic retinopathy can lead to significant vision loss or blindness.

Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy

While anyone with diabetes is at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy there are a few factors that can increase this risk. For instance, the longer you have diabetes, the higher your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Consistently high blood sugar levels increase the risk of retinal damage. High blood pressure and cholesterol  can exacerbate damage to the blood vessels in the retina. Smoking can worsen blood vessel damage and increase the risk of diabetic retinopathy.

Treatment Options

Treatment for diabetic retinopathy depends on the stage and severity of the condition:

• Early Stages: In the early stages, managing your diabetes effectively through diet, exercise, and medication can slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy.
• Laser Treatment: For more advanced stages, laser treatment can seal leaking blood vessels and reduce retinal swelling.
• Injections: Medications injected into the eye can help reduce inflammation and prevent the growth of abnormal blood vessels.
• Surgery: In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to remove blood from the eye or repair retinal detachment.

Protecting Your Vision at Claflin Eye Care

To learn more about how this condition affects your vision contact us at 719-276-1660. Protect your vision and enjoy a better quality of life with the expert care at Claflin Eye Care.