Diagnosing and Treating Diabetic Eye Diseases

You’ve heard how diabetes causes eye complications like blurry vision, or worse, blindness. People who suffer from this chronic condition do have an increased risk of developing eye problems. This group of eye complications that can affect diabetic patients is known as diabetic eye diseases. Here’s how these eye problems are diagnosed and treated:

• Diabetic Retinopathy

  • This eye problem occurs when high sugar levels cause damage to the retinal blood vessels. A person can develop diabetic retinopathy and not know they have it. The condition doesn’t always have symptoms in its early stages. A dilated eye examination is necessary to get a direct visualization of your retina. This allows your doctor to see the inside of your eyes more efficiently and assess the damage. While your pupils are dilated, your doctor may also need other diagnostic tests. These include fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The most critical part of treating diabetic retinopathy is to manage your diabetes. Once the condition has progressed, eye injections, laser treatment, or eye surgery may be necessary.
    
     

• Diabetic Macular Edema

  • This is another eye complication marked by the thickening or swelling of your macula. It’s a small part at the center of your retina responsible for your detailed, pinpoint vision. To diagnose this macular edema, your doctor must perform a comprehensive eye exam. Some of the most common diagnostic tests are visual acuity tests and dilated eye exams. Your doctor will also likely need fluorescein angiography, OCT, and the use of the Amsler Grid. Patients may need focal macular laser treatment to control leakage and bleeding. The eye doctor may also prescribe medications to help mitigate the risk of vision loss. These usually include anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections or specific steroid injections.
    
     

• Cataracts

  • Besides age, diabetes is one of the primary risk factors for a person to develop cataracts. It’s the clouding of the eye’s usually clear lens. Your eye doctor will perform several tests to diagnose this eye disease. These include visual acuity tests, dilated eye exams, slit-lamp tests, and tonometry. Detecting cataracts early on is crucial to prevent them from spreading as fast. In its early stages, the condition is treated with prescription eyewear. Once it starts to interfere with your day-to-day activities, surgery will be your only option to improve vision.
    
     

• Glaucoma

  • This eye disease occurs when there’s eye pressure buildup, causing optic nerve damage. Retinal damage due to diabetic retinopathy may eventually result in neovascular glaucoma. The condition is generally diagnosed with several testing methods. These include tonometry, gonioscopy, and ophthalmoscopy. Your eye doctor may also request a visual field test, OCT, and scanning laser polarimetry. Neovascular glaucoma is treated depending on the underlying cause of the problem. Other methods generally use medications or surgery to lower eye pressure.

Have you been diagnosed with diabetes before and now seem to notice changes to your vision? Don’t wait for your symptoms to get worse and cause irreversible blindness. Schedule your consultation today with our eye experts in Norwood Family Eye Care. Call our office today in Bartlett or Memphis, Tennessee at 901-617-8095 or 901-380-1274 to book your appointment.