Protect Your Eyes From Diabetic Retinopathy

Eye problems are just one of the many concerns anyone with diabetes is surely aware of. Diabetic retinopathy is serious in that it has a direct effect on your vision. What happens is the diabetes causes damage to the retina. But to understand how and what can be done to prevent it, you first need to understand the retina itself.

Without getting into too much detail, you can think of the retina as a group of nerves in the back of your eyeball. They are like your eye's camera, giving your brain a look at what you are seeing. What retinopahty does is cause problems with this simple process.

The blood vessels that are in the retina are very sensitive. When they split, the fluid that was in the vessels starts to drip into the eye's compound. And when this happens the problems begin.

Most people will start to observe what appears to be an obstruction in their sight. Then scar tissue starts to occur around you eyeball and in it. Finally, the retina detaches or breaks away from where it should be sitting.

So how does this relate to diabetes? Well high levels of sugar in the blood can cause the damage we just talked about to occur. But the bigger problem is that all too often the noticeable symptoms happen only after the problem damage has become extremely severe. The result is that frequently you may not even realize the problem exists until it is too late to correct. This means that regular eye checkups from a doctor are essential. In the case of diabetics, you'll need to visit your eye doctor a minimum of every year. Discovering a problem in the early stages makes it much easier to correct.

And even the earliest symptoms should mean a trip to the eye doctor. Look for any changes in your field of vision. Some people will notice what are called "floaters", black or white spots that happen for what seems like no reason. If your vision seems weaker or blurry you may also have diabetic retinopathy. Double vision is another symptom. If you notice any of these, even in a mild form, you should contact your eye doctor immediately.

The good news is that often treatment is not necessary. But if treatment is needed, there are several options designed to reduce lost vision. You and your doctor will decide between prescription medication, laser treatments or more invasive surgery.

But again, don't wait until you have symptoms. Have your eyes checked regularly. Then your doctor can begin any treatment for your diabetic retinopathy before the problem becomes too severe.

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