Diabetes & the Eye

Diabetes can lead to blurry vision in several ways. In some cases, it’s a minor problem that you can resolve by stabilizing your blood sugar or taking eye drops. Other times, it’s a sign of something more serious that’s worth discussing with your doctor. In fact, blurred sight is often one of the first warning signs of diabetes.

What is Diabetic Eye Disease?

Diabetic Eye Disease is a group of eye problems that can affect people with diabetes. Over time, diabetes can cause damage to your eyes that can lead to poor vision or even blindness. You can take steps to prevent diabetic eye disease or prevent existing disease from getting worse. More serious Diabetic Eye Diseases begin with blood vessel problems. The eye diseases that can threaten your sight include Diabetic Retinopathy, Diabetic Macular Oedema and Cataracts. Let’s find out more about these types of Diabetic Eye Disease and the treatments we offer.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in the working population. The prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy increases with duration of diabetes and nearly all patients with Type 1 and more than 60% with Type 2 diabetes develop some signs of Retinopathy. What is Diabetic Retinopathy The retina is the inner lining at the back of each eye. The retina senses light and turns it into signals that your brain decodes, so you can see the world around you. Damaged blood vessels can harm the retina, causing a disease called Diabetic Retinopathy. Damaged blood vessels can cause blurred, patchy vision and shapes floating in your field of vision.

Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO)

Oedema means fluid retention. When leaky vessels cause fluid to build up in the macula, at the centre of the retina, it is known as Diabetic Macular Oedema. It is a complication of Diabetic Retinopathy and being diagnosed with DMO can be distressing and worrying but, with the right treatment, information and support, people can cope very well.

What is Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO)?

The macula is the central part of the retina responsible for your central or ‘sharp’ vision. Diabetes can damage blood vessels in the macula which then leak and the surrounding retina can become swollen or ‘waterlogged’. This results in worsening of vision so that there is difficulty in tasks like reading, watching TV or recognizing faces.

The connection between Diabetes and Cataract

Elevated blood glucose causes the lens in the eye to swell. Over time, the lens starts to accumulate sorbitol (a type of sugar) which causes cloudiness of the lens and leads to cataract formation. The more severe your diabetic eye disease is, the higher the risk of getting cataracts.

3 Types of Treatment for Diabetic Eye Diseases

Laser Treatment

Laser treatment is used to treat new blood vessels at the back of the eyes in the advanced stages of Diabetic Retinopathy. This is done because the new blood vessels tend to be very weak and often cause bleeding into the eye. Treatment can help stabilize the changes in your eyes caused by your diabetes and stop your vision getting any worse, although it won’t usually improve your sight.

Eye Injections

In some cases of Diabetic Maculopathy, injections of a medicine called intravitreal injections may be given directly into your eyes to prevent new blood vessels forming at the back of the eyes. These can help stop the problems in your eyes getting worse, and may also lead to an improvement in your vision. The injections are usually given once a month to begin with. Once your vision starts to stabilise, they will be given less frequently and eventually stopped.

Eye Surgery

Surgery may be carried out to remove some of the vitreous humour from the eye. This is the transparent, jelly-like substance that fills the space behind the lens of the eye. The operation, known as Pars Plana Vitrectomy (PPV), may be needed if:

• A large amount of blood has collected in your eye.
• There’s extensive scar tissue that’s likely to cause, or has already caused, retinal detachment.

During the procedure, Dr Chetty will make a small incision in your eye before removing some of the vitreous humour, removing any scar tissue and using a laser to prevent a further deterioration in your vision. Vitreoretinal Surgery can be carried out under local or general anaesthetic depending on your risk profile.

PPV surgery can also be used to treat conditions such as retinal detachments, vitreous haemorrhage, endophthalmitis, and macular holes.