Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication caused due to high blood sugar levels that damage the retina or back of the eye. Treating diabetic retinopathy is necessary because it can result in blindness if left untreated or undiagnosed.
Nevertheless, it takes several years for the problem to reach a stage where it can threaten your sight. Diabetic retinopathy treatment is only required if screening detects specific issues that might affect your vision. There are two types of diabetic retinopathy: Early diabetic retinopathy and advanced diabetic retinopathy.
Treatment for Early Diabetic Retinopathy
The only treatment for early diabetic retinopathy is managing your diabetes or keeping it under control. Moderate or mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy does not require immediate treatment.
But you need to discuss the problem with your doctor to find ways to manage your diabetes efficiently. Just controlling your blood sugar levels in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy can prevent vision problems and slow the condition’s progression.
Treatment for Advanced Diabetic Retinopathy
In the advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy, your vision is at risk or completely affected. Keeping your blood sugar stable can prevent the condition from worsening. Most important treatments for advanced diabetic retinopathy include:
i) Laser Treatment
In this procedure, the new blood vessels behind the eyes are laser-treated because they are weak and can cause bleeding in the eyes. This diabetic retinopathy treatment can stabilise changes in the eyes caused due to the condition and stop the eyesight from worsening.
The treatment involves shining a laser into the eyes, focussing on the retina. Doctors use a local anaesthetic to numb the eyes and eye drops to widen the pupils. Specially designed contact lenses are used to hold the eyelids wide open.
Side Effects of the Treatment Include:
- Increased light sensitivity
- Blurred vision
- Discomfort or aching in the eyes
Potential Complications of the Treatment Are:
- Bleeding into the eyes
- Peripheral vision or reduced night vision
- Objects appear like floating in vision
- Small but the permanent blind spot
- You can see the pattern made through a laser at the back of your eyes for a few months.
ii) Eye Injections
Eye injections of medicine known as anti-VEGF are given directly into the patient’s eyes to prevent forming new blood vessels at the back of the eyes. The most important medication in this diabetic retinopathy treatment procedure includes Aflibercept, Eylea, Ranibizumab, or Lucentis.
These medicines stop diabetic retinopathy from getting worse and can also improve vision. Before the treatment starts, doctors clean the skin around the eyes and cover it using a sheet. They use small clips to keep the eyes open and a local anaesthetic to numb the eyes. The injection is given in the eyeball using a fine needle.
Initially, eye injections are given once a month, and once vision stabilises, they are given less frequently or stopped altogether.
Side Effects and Risks of Eye Injections Include:
- Discomfort in the eyes or eye irritation
- Bleeding into the eyes
- Dry, itchy or watery eyes
- Blood clots, resulting in stroke or heart attack
The risk of blood clots causing a heart attack or stroke is very small, but you must know about it before getting eye injections.
iii) Eye Surgery
Doctors can opt for eye surgery to remove vitreous humour from the eyes. Vitreous humour is a jelly-like, transparent substance that fills the area behind the eye lens. Eye surgery for diabetic retinopathy is called vitreoretinal surgery, and it is required if:
- There is extensive scar tissue that can result in retinal detachment
- A lot of blood has collected in the eyes
A tiny incision is made in the eyes during the surgery, and then scar tissue and vitreous humour are removed using a laser. The surgeon gives a local anaesthetic, so the patient does not experience pain.
You can go home after a few hours or the day after the surgery. It is essential to wear a patch over the eyes for a few days after the surgery to prevent exhausting the eyes. You will also have blurred vision after the surgery, which will improve gradually.
Side Effects and Risks of the Treatment Are:
- Retinal detachment
- Cataract development
- Bleeding into the eyes
- Eye infection
- Fluid build-up in the cornea
You might require retinal surgery later, which the doctor will discuss later.
Eye Problems and Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas to control the sugar level in the blood. And when your body does not respond to it the way it should, it leads to insulin resistance.
Also known as impaired insulin sensitivity, it can cause different health issues, such as hyperinsulinemia, vascular issues, and vision problems like diabetic neuropathy. Blood sugar spikes can cause cataracts, blurry vision, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Unfortunately, diabetes is one of the significant causes of blindness in people between 20 and 74 years of age.
Conclusion
Experts are working to treat and prevent diabetic retinopathy better and constantly investigating new drugs that can slow or prevent the condition. Doctors can provide more information on the latest medicines for insulin resistance and diabetic retinopathy. So, you should visit your doctor for regular checkups to avoid complications.