What are Diabetic Eye Disorders?

Diabetic eye disorders include diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, which are caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina due to diabetes and can lead to vision loss.

There are four stages of diabetic retinopathy: 

1: Mild Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR): This is the earliest stage of diabetic retinopathy. With this condition, damaged blood vessels in the retina begin to leak extra fluid and small amounts of blood into the eye. At times, deposits of fats from the blood may leak into the retina.   

2: Moderate Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR): As the disease progresses, some blood vessels that nourish the retina are blocked due to leakage.  

3: Severe Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR): During this stage, many blood vessels are blocked, depriving several areas of the retina with blood supply. These areas of the retina send signals to the body to grow new blood vessels for nourishment.          

4: Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR): PDR mainly occurs when many of the blood vessels in the retina close, preventing enough blood flow. In an attempt to supply blood to the area where the original vessels closed, new blood vessels grow. These new blood vessels are abnormal and do not supply the retina with proper blood flow. The new vessels are also often accompanied by scar tissue that may cause the retina to wrinkle or detach.   

PDR may cause more severe vision loss that NPDR because it can affect both central and peripheral vision. 

How are Diabetic Eye Disorders Treated?

The best treatment for diabetic retinopathy is to prevent it. Strict control of your blood sugar will significantly reduce the long-term risk of vision loss. Treatment usually will not cure diabetic retinopathy or restore normal vision. However, it may slow down the progression of vision loss. Without treatment, diabetic retinopathy progresses steadily from minimal to severe stages.  

Laser – Laser treatment shrinks abnormal blood vessels and reduces the amount of swelling in the eye. With laser surgery for swelling, tiny laser burns are applied near the macula to reduce the fluid leakage. The main goal of treatment is to prevent further loss of vision by reducing the swelling of the macula. It is uncommon for people who have blurred vision from macula swelling to recover normal vision, although some may experience partial improvement.  

Medication Injections – In some cases, medication may be used to help treat diabetic retinopathy. Sometimes a steroid medication is used. In other cases, you may be given an anti-VEGF medication. This medication works by blocking a substance known as vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. This substance contributes to abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye which can affect your vision. This medication reduces the swelling, leakage and growth of unwanted blood vessel growth in the retina, and may improve how well you see.  

Medication treatments may be given once or as series of injections at regular intervals, usually around every four to six weeks or as determined by your physician.