Diabetic Retinopathy
1. What is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetes can have many effects upon the eye, some
of which may be transient, others more deep-seated and permanent.
In most cases these conditions are of less significance if the underlying
diabetes is under good control.
Temporary blurring of vision is quite usual during
the early stages of controlling diabetes, as the crystalline lens
within the eye becomes swollen for a short time.
Diabetes will also cause changes to the lens resulting
in an increased incidence of cataract. However simple extraction
and implant surgery will usually resolve any visual discomfort.
Diabetic Retinopathy is a more critical eye condition
that affects the retina and can lead to severe visual impairment.
Many long-term diabetics have a degree of non-vision threatening
background diabetic retinopathy but this is rarely cause for any
serious concern.
There are however two types of Diabetic Retinopathy
that can damage sight:
Maculopathy
In which blood vessels in the retina begin to leak.
Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes causes existing blood vessels in the retina to become blocked
and the body attempts to repair the damage by forming new vessels
within the retina. Unfortunately the new vessels are very weak and
often develop in the wrong place.
Subsequent leaking of the vessels results in the formation
of scar tissue that pulls and distorts the retina. If this pulling
is allowed to persist there is a very real risk of a retinal detachment.
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