Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes and your eyes:

Diabetic retinopathy can affect anyone who has diabetes, whether they are being treated with insulin or tablets or by diet alone, and whether the diabetes began early or later in life. Retinopathy usually has no obvious symptoms until it is well advanced. This is why yearly eye examinations are so important for everyone with diabetes. Early detection, as with all other eye conditions, is the key to successful treatment.

Normal Vision	With Diabetic Retinopathy

What is retinopathy? Diabetic retinopathy affects the blood vessels supplying the retina – the ‘seeing’ part inside the eye. In diabetes, blood vessels can become blocked or leaky, and new blood vessels can grow where they are not supposed to. If it is left untreated, retinopathy can seriously damage your vision.

Why is my vision blurred? Blurred vision is not usually a sign of retinopathy. In diabetes, blurred vision can be caused by changes in your blood glucose (sugar) levels. Your blood glucose levels may take some weeks to settle down, but once they are under control your vision will return to normal. If this does not happen, you are advised to see your doctor.

How can I prevent retinopathy? The best way to avoid retinopathy is to have an eye examination when your diabetes is first diagnosed and once every year after that, and to control your diabetes as well as you can. Don’t wait until you notice a problem with your vision, because retinopathy often has no symptoms until it is well advanced, and by this time treatment is much more difficult and often less successful.

What does an eye examination involve? A full eye examination involves a great deal more than just reading letters off a wall chart! In a full eye examination, we also check the health of your eyes and make sure they are properly aligned, by assessing the muscles surrounding your eyes.

The person checking your eyes uses an opthalmoscope to view the retina and check it is healthy. They may also use a larger instrument with a bright light, together with a small hand-held lens. If this is performed then we need to put some drops in your eyes to make your pupils bigger (dilated) and allow us to see the backs of your eyes better. You may find that your vision is slightly affected by the drops for a few hours, so you should avoid driving after your test until your eyes have recovered. Your eyes will also be sensitive to bright light for a while, so wearing sunglasses may help.

People with diabetes need to have both retinas examined yearly. This can be done by a diabetologist, an optometrist, an ophthatlmologist, or a family doctor with a special interest and knowledge of diabetes. People with diabetes are entitled to free eye examinations by their optometrist.

How is retinopathy treated? If the person who has examined your eyes finds any diabetic retinopathy, they will refer you to the eye specialist at the hospital to have your eyes examined. If necessary, a laser can be used to stabilise the leaking blood vessels and prevent your vision deteriorating.