Diabetes is a blanket term describing a group of several diseases of the body’s endocrine glands, all of which are characterized by persistent high levels of blood sugar. Almost 11% of the world’s adult population suffers from either Type I or Type II diabetes, and it’s the seventh-leading cause of death around the world.
One complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, a number of different forms of eye damage caused by the patient’s high blood sugar levels. If allowed to progress to its highest severity, diabetic retinopathy can lead to a complete loss of vision.
In this article, we’ll answer the question, “Can diabetic retinopathy be reversed?” We’ll also examine how diabetic retinopathy affects patient vision, some risk factors, steps you can take to slow retinopathy’s progression, and why regular eye exams are especially important for patients with diabetes.
What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication arising from uncontrolled diabetes. It’s the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans and the fifth leading cause of vision loss worldwide.
When a patient has diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels make it harder for blood to flow through the tiny vessels that supply blood to the retina. The retina is the membrane on the back of the eye that contains the light-sensitive cells that allow you to see.
As the retinal blood vessels clog, they can break. Or, new and abnormally shaped vessels can start to grow on the back of the eye. Regardless of what occurs with the vessels on the back of the eye, blood begins to leak into the clear fluid that fills the eyeball (the vitreous humor).
This accumulation of blood inside the eye can cause:
- Increased intraocular pressure, which can cause glaucoma
- Macular edema, a swelling of the central part of the retina
- Dark spots or “floaters” in the eye
- Several other vision problems
- Pain and discomfort in the eye
Can Diabetic Retinopathy Be Reversed?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to reverse vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy. There are, however, several options for slowing the progression of the disease and limiting the vision loss it causes – if the disease is caught early enough.
For that reason, it is vital that diabetes patients undergo regular eye exams. Diabetic retinopathy can be largely asymptomatic for years, causing no noticeable symptoms. Patients may be suffering eye damage without even knowing it.
Only during regular eye exams can an eye-care specialist identify the early signs of diabetic retinopathy and recommend treatments and lifestyle changes to avoid complete vision loss.
What Are the Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy?
Within 15 years of their diagnosis, more than 80% of diabetes patients will begin to show some signs of diabetic retinopathy. So, the list of retinopathy risk factors more-or-less matches the risk factors for diabetes:
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Tobacco use
- Genetic factors
- Race (Black, Hispanic, and Native American individuals are at a higher risk)
Additionally, how long someone has had diabetes and how well they control their blood sugar can increase or decrease the risk of developing retinopathy:
- The risk of retinopathy increases the longer the patient is diabetic.
- Poorly controlled diabetes is considerably more likely to cause retinopathy than well-controlled diabetes.
What Are the Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?
As mentioned above, patients can suffer from diabetic retinopathy for years before any symptoms become apparent. Ideally, if you develop diabetic retinopathy, your eye care specialist will identify and diagnose it before you begin to see any signs at all.
If you are not receiving regular eye exams, are diabetic, and begin to notice any of the following symptoms, make an eye appointment immediately:
- Blurry vision
- Dark spots or “floaters” in your vision
- Low vision at night
- Faded color vision
- Poor sharp vision – trouble seeing objects far away or with reading or other fine vision
How Can I Prevent or Slow Diabetic Retinopathy?
If you have diabetes, there are two steps you can take that will reduce the likelihood of vision loss from diabetic retinopathy:
Take Control of Your Diabetes
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, take your treatments and control strategies seriously. If your doctor recommends lifestyle changes, work at making those changes and sticking with them. If you’re prescribed a medication to help control your blood sugar, take it regularly and consistently as your doctor advises. And, if you’re required to monitor your blood sugar and use injectable insulin to control your blood sugar levels, do so.
Managing your diabetes is the best way to avoid suffering permanent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy.
Get Regular Eye Exams
While everyone should get regular annual eye exams, these exams are essential for patients with diabetes. If you have diabetes, think of your yearly eye exam as being just as important as your annual physical or regular check-ins with your endocrinologist.
Treating and slowing down the disease’s progress is much easier when retinopathy is in its early stages before it begins causing any noticeable symptoms. When the condition is detected early, there are a number of treatments that can help prevent future vision loss:
- Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (Anti-VEGF) treatments help prevent new, abnormal blood vessels from growing on the back of the eye.
- Laser procedures can stop blood vessels from bleeding into the eye, causing vision problems, and raising intraocular pressure.
Have You Been Diagnosed with Diabetes? We Can Help You Preserve Your Vision.
Don’t wait until your vision suffers. An annual eye exam is a crucial part of your defense against diabetic retinopathy. With eight locations around the midstate and the Golden Isles, we’re always close at hand to help you maintain clear vision! Call 478-923-5872 to learn more or make an appointment.
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