Content
Diabetic retinopathy is a situation that can happen when diabetes is not identified or treated correctly. Thus, there are large amounts of glucose circulating in the blood, which can lead to damage to the vessels present in the retina, which can cause changes in vision, such as blurred, blurred or mottled vision.
Diabetic retinopathy can be divided into 2 different types:
- Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy: which corresponds to the initial stage of the disease, in which the presence of small lesions in the blood vessels of the eye can be verified;
- Proliferative diabetic retinopathy: it is the most serious type in which there is permanent damage to the blood vessels in the eyes and the formation of more fragile vessels, which can rupture, worsening vision or causing blindness.
To avoid diabetic retinopathy it is important that the treatment of diabetes is done according to the recommendation of the endocrinologist, it is also important to have a healthy diet and to practice physical activity on a regular basis, in addition to monitoring glucose levels throughout the day.
Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy
Initially, diabetic retinopathy does not lead to the appearance of signs or symptoms, and is usually diagnosed when the blood vessels are already more damaged, and there may be the appearance of:
- Small black dots or lines in the vision;
- Blurry vision;
- Dark spots in the vision;
- Difficulty seeing;
- Difficulty identifying different colors
However, these symptoms are not always easy to identify before the onset of blindness and, therefore, it is very important that people suffering from diabetes keep their sugar levels well controlled and make regular visits to the eye doctor to assess their eye health.
How to treat
Treatment should always be guided by an ophthalmologist and usually varies according to the patient's severity and type of retinopathy. In the case of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, the doctor can choose only to monitor the evolution of the situation without any specific treatment being performed.
In the case of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, the ophthalmologist can indicate the performance of surgery or laser treatment to eliminate the new blood vessels that are forming in the eye or to stop bleeding, if it is happening.
However, the person must always maintain the proper treatment of diabetes to avoid worsening retinopathy, even in cases of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and to avoid the appearance of other complications, such as diabetic foot and cardiac changes. Learn more about the complications of diabetes.
Created by: Tua Saúde Editorial Team