Diabetic Retinopathy: Diabetic Retinopathy Symptom and Treatment, Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic individuals can experience a series of complications to various aspects of their health profile. Diabetic patients may also suffer from foot care difficulties, as well as challenges to their immune system and vision.

Eye damage

One common affliction common to diabetic victims is diabetic retinopathy. This is a progressive disease that will worsen over time. With this condition, diabetic individuals will experience damage to the blood vessels of the retina. Eventually, diabetic retinopathy triggers diminished vision. More serious cases of this illness may lead to blindness.

Level of Risk

The onset of this incurable disease largely depends on the type of diabetes an individual has developed. However, any diabetic patient can develop diabetic retinopathy. Even so, medical studies note that there is a greater tendency for diabetic retinopathy to develop among individuals suffering from type 1 diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy is affected by the length of time that an individual has lived with diabetes. More often than not, the longer a person has suffered from a form of diabetes, the higher their risk is for the development of diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, patients will increase their level of vulnerability by engaging in risky practices such as smoking, failing to check their vision regularly, and ignoring the level of sugar in the blood.

Factors of vulnerability

Diabetic retinopathy can also develop in individuals with a family history of development of this affliction. In addition, patients who suffer from kidney dysfunction caused by diabetes are more vulnerable to the development of diabetic retinopathy.

Pregnant women with diabetes may develop diabetic retinopathy. If the patient already suffers from this affliction, the condition may worsen during the duration of the pregnancy.

Preventative Care

This condition can be avoided by monitoring the blood sugar levels of the body. It is also beneficial to maintain a healthy blood pressure level.

An ophthalmologist, a doctor specially trained to treat and diagnosis eye diseases and disorders, can screen for this disease during regular vision checkups. The doctor may conduct those vision examinations in the same visit in which vision is checked, the eye surface is observed, and the pressure of the eye is noted.

If a patient suffers from diabetes, it is important that the primary physician works with the ophthalmologist. Early screening and preventative care can slow down the onset of diabetic retinopathy. Ideally, regular testing will reduce the potential for total vision loss.

Causes

Diabetic retinopathy is caused by complications from the worsening of diabetes. First, the levels of blood sugar in the body must be abnormally high. This increase will damage the blood vessels located near to the retina of the eye. As the blood vessels weaken, they will develop small bulges. Eventually, bulges in the blood vessels burst and leak onto the retina. As new blood vessels grow, they will mature on the damaged surface of the retina. Eventually, those vessels will also burst and bleed. This damage will create scar tissue that will hinder the patient's vision.

Treatment

Victims of diabetic retinopathy will often not notice the progression of this disease until its complications have drastically worsened. Although it cannot be cured, medical professionals can treat this disease in order to prevent vision loss and reduce the amount of obstructive gel on the surface of the eye. Known as photocoagulation to the medical community, laser treatment is effective when treatment is sought prior to the occurrence of severe damage to the retina.

Summary

Diabetic retinopathy affects diabetic patients. This disease is incurable and may worsen with time. However, preventative care and treatment are possible with the guidance of a licensed health care professional.

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