DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common form of diabetic eye disease but further complications such as cataracts and glaucoma also affect diabetic.all people having diabetes should have a dilated eye examination at least once every year.Diabetic retinophaty occurs when changes in blood glucose levels cause changes in retinal blood vessels.

RISK FACTOR OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

• High levels of blood glucose
• Hypertension
• High lipid profile levels
• Pregnancy
• Diabetic Kidney disease

The symptoms of each stage and how they present

1. Preclinical stage :in this stage are symptomless so they are not detected early.Without regular check of their blood sugar and opthalmic examination,they progress into more complicated stage.
2. Nonproliferative retinopathy :is condition in which the small capillaries in the retina break and cause macullar oedema.The fluid make maculla swell,causing blured vision.
3. Proliferative retinopathy:occur of the when demage to the retina causes new blood vessel grow abnormally.These vessels also bleed easily into the inner part of the eye causing blurred vision and dark spots that appear to the float in the vision and eventually destroy the retina.
4. Late proliferative retinopathy-severe visual loss is noticed and on examination.Retinal detachment may be noticed sometimes.More new blood vessel are seen in the retina.

THE DIAGNOSIS OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

• VISUAL ACUITY TEST this eye chart measures how well you see at various distances
• DILATED EYE EXAM drops are put to dilate or widen the pupil to check retina for early sign of disease,which include leaking blood vessels,demage optic nerve tissue and any changes in the blood vessels in the eye.
• TONOMETRY an instrument which measures the pressure inside the eye-numbing drops may be applied prior.
• FLOURESCEIN ANGIOGRAM-to know the extent of diabetic retinopathy.The opthalmologist injects a special dye into a vein,when the dye reaches the retinal vein trough circulation,photographs show any leaking blood vessels.

TREATMENT FOR DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

1. Laser photocoagulation to seal demaged or abnormal blood vessels and prevent them from leaking.
2. Virecomy is a surgical procedure that is perfomed to remove the clauded vitrues gel in the center of the eye.This treatment has a very high success rate for improving vision.

COMPLICATION OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

• VTREOUS HAEMORRAGE
• TRACTION RETINAL DETACHMENT
• NEOVASCULAR GLAUCOMA

source:nursing orientation DDC;presented by SHIELA.