Diabetes Retinopathy: Is it Reversible?

Dr.Vidya Chaudhry, 4 mins read

Diabetes has become one of the most common lifestyle diseases. It not only calls for restrictions on diet but also increases the risk of developing certain conditions if not managed properly.

One such condition is diabetic retinopathy, which can affect your eyes. If you’re diagnosed with this disease, many questions may be brewing in your mind, such as “how to treat it?” and “can it be reversed?”

Here, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about this disease.

What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

The retina is a layer of millions of light-sensitive cells that receive and organise visual information. Diabetes can lead to the narrowing of blood vessels that nourish this layer, thereby causing visual damage.

There are two stages of diabetic retinopathy. The early stage is known as nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, which underlines a situation in which the retinal blood vessels are narrowed, causing damage due to inadequate blood supply, such as outpouching of blood vessels leaky vessels causing swelling in the retina. 

The advanced stage is proliferative diabetic retinopathy, in which the eyes start to grow new blood vessels in an attempt to restore blood supply. These vessels are however weak and can lead to bleeding within the eye, and in later stages pull on the retina to cause retinal detachment, or a painful bleeding condition called neovascular glaucoma.

Diabetes can also alter the curve and shape of the lens, leading to changes in vision. It can even result in vision loss if not treated on time.

Symptoms

Initially, diabetic retinopathy doesn’t cause any noticeable symptoms. But with time, you may experience:   

• Fluctuating vision
• Blurry vision
• Eye floaters
• Empty spaces or black spots in the vision
• Difficulty seeing colors
• Poor night vision

Risk Factors 

Although anyone can develop this disease, some are at higher risk, like who:

• Is Pregnant
• Have type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• Regularly smoke
• Have poorly controlled  blood sugar level
• Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels 
• Have associated kidney damage from diabetes

Prevention

• Keep your blood sugar level in check
• Monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol 
• Quit smoking and other types of tobacco
• Pay attention to your vision changes
• Most Importantly, Periodically get your eyes checked

Can Diabetic Retinopathy Get Better?

Yes. Diabetic retinopathy is treatable. Here are some treatment options available for diabetic retinopathy: 

• Medical Treatment

There are several medications available to reduce swelling in the retina and help regress the abnormal blood vessels and slow vision loss. The common medication is anti-VEGF which you’ll receive through injections in the eyes. Sometimes, injections are aso used. Your doctor will decide which medications you should get based on your condition. People , may need these injections repeatedly depending on the severity of the disease. 

• Laser Treatment

This treatment is used to seal off and shrink the blood vessels leaking fluid and stop your vision from worsening. Lasers are done as outpatient procedures and are safe and precise. Some Lasers require just one sitting, others may require more than one sitting. 

• Vitrectomy

This is usually recommended in the advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy. During the treatment, your doctor will surgically help treat retinal detachment and remove scar tissue, or blood from your eyes that is affecting your vision function.

Takeaway!

With Diabetes being a global epidemic, Diabetic retinopathy is also increasingly common. However, vision loss from the same is preventable if diagnosed and treated on time. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, regularly monitoring your blood sugar and timely eye examinations by an ophthalmologist goes on a long way in maintaining perfect vision.

Every Diabetic needs at least a yearly retinal even if there are no visual symptoms if the blood sugar levels are poorly controlled, or if there are associated risk factors the examinations are likely to be required more frequently. If early diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed, your doctor will suggest the frequency of future examinations. The key is early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Also, Read: Diminished Vision in Younger Generations