It is important to establish a definition of this aspect of diabetes, then to determine whether an individual would need to seek diabetic retinopathy treatment if indeed he or she is experiencing the symptoms associated with diabetic retinopathy. In affecting the body’s blood cells’ ability to absorb glucose, a common result in those suffering from diabetes is that the blood vessels at the retina of the diabetic patient will become damaged. If left untreated, this condition can lead to vision loss and even eventual blindness. There is hope, however, in early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. An individual who has been diagnosed with diabetes must pay special attention to subtle changes in vision that could indicate the presence of diabetic eye disease or diabetic retinopathy. At the first sign of these changes, slight as they may first appear, diagnosis should be made as to whether diabetic retinopathy treatment should commence. This diagnosis can occur by eye dilation, a procedure which should be undertaken at least once a year in those suffering from diabetes, regardless of whether the aforementioned symptoms are experienced.
There are four general stages in the progression of diabetic retinopathy. These four stages involve, first, the swelling of the retinal blood vessels, progressing to blockage of the blood vessels, the penultimate blockage of more and more retinal blood vessels and finally the production of weaker blood vessels to compensate for what the body perceives as a need to grow new blood vessels in response to a lack of blood from the previously blocked vessels. These new weak blood vessels that the body creates, in advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy, may stand a high risk for leakage of blood, at which point vision loss and even blindness in some cases can result. Treatment becomes more and more vital as the retinopathy progresses, as the National Eye Institute asserts that the risk of blindness can be almost completely eliminated if recommended care procedures are followed.
Advanced Stages – Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment
As previously mentioned, the most advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy treatment is its fourth stage, known as Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy. This is the stage at which the retina sends signals that new blood vessels should be produced, and these weaker blood vessels become problematic because of their weak composition. They are very prone to leakage, at which point the patient’s vision will become obscured, even to the point of blindness. Commonly, the individual experiencing this stage of diabetic retinopathy will experience splotches or dark clouds in their vision.
The most common treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy is with lasers. Laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy involves reducing the size of the problematic blood vessels. It is advantageous to begin this process before the leakage of weaker proliferative blood vessels occurs, but it can still be performed if some bleeding of these vessels has transpired. The laser treatment may cause some loss of vision in certain cases – night vision, color vision, and peripherals are the most likely to be affected – but overall loss of vision can and will be avoided if the right treatment procedures are followed.
