Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy
Panama City, Florida
While not every person with diabetes goes blind, the disease can affect your eyesight. And if you don’t address your vision problems early, the damage can be devastating.
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease. It is also the number one cause of blindness among adults in the United States. This disease is caused by changes in the blood vessels of your retina.
Symptoms
Some people with diabetic retinopathy will experience swollen blood vessels that may leak fluid. With other cases, abnormal new blood vessels might grow on the surface of your retina—the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye. In order for you to maintain good eyesight, your retina must be healthy.
If you are suffering from diabetic retinopathy, you may realize only subtle changes in your vision. But as time passes, diabetic retinopathy can worsen and ultimately lead to blindness. This condition typically affects both eyes simultaneously.
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There are four stages with diabetic retinopathy:
- Mild Non-proliferative Retinopathy: During this early stage, small areas of balloon-type swelling (called microaneurysms) will occur in your retina’s blood vessels.
- Moderate Non-proliferative Retinopathy: Some blood vessels that nourish the retina become blocked as this disease advances.
- Severe Non-proliferative Retinopathy: More blood vessels become blocked, keeping blood from flowing to certain areas of your retina. These send signals to your body to grow new blood vessels.
- Proliferative Retinopathy: By this stage, the signals sent by the retina for nourishment prompt the growth of new blood vessels. Your new blood vessels are abnormal, fragile and grow along your retina and the surface of the clear gel inside your eye. These blood vessels alone do not cause symptoms or vision loss—but if their thin walls leak blood, severe vision loss and blindness can occur.
Both Types at Risk
Any kind of diabetes—type 1 or type 2—puts you at risk of diabetic retinopathy. Everyone with diabetes should have a dilated eye exam once a year. If you’ve had diabetes for many years, your risk is higher. Statistics reveal that 40 to 45 percent of Americans suffering from diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy.
If you or a loved one has diabetes and may be suffering from diabetic retinopathy, please contact the Eye Center of North Florida today, serving patients in Panama City and surrounding areas of north Florida. The experienced eye doctors at The Eye Center offer a thorough screening and a friendly, professional atmosphere. Please call our office today and be on your way to seeing the world clearly. Nine doctors. One vision—Yours.
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