Diabetic Retinopathy

What is diabetic eye disease?

Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of diabetes. All can cause severe vision loss or even blindness.

Diabetic eye disease may include: Diabetic retinopathy damage to the blood vessels in the retina.

Cataract clouding of the eye's lens. Cataracts develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes.

Glaucoma increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision. A person with diabetes is nearly twice as likely to get glaucoma as other adults.

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. All people with diabetes--both type 1 and type 2--are at risk. That's why everyone with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. The longer someone has diabetes, the more likely he or she will get diabetic retinopathy. Between 40 to 45 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy. That is why finding diabetic retinopathy early is the best way to prevent vision loss.

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy

When patients reach the stage treatment is required, North Central Eye has teamed withFTMC to provide state-of-the-art office-based laser treatment to dramatically decrease the risk of progression. Our laser surgeons will perform laser delivery to the retina with the expectation of vision improvement or stabilization. Diabetic retinopathy can now be treated with new drugs that are injected into the eye (anti-VEGF therapy). Abnormally high levels of a specific growth factor occur in eyes with diabetes and promote the growth of abnormal new blood vessels. This drug treatment blocks the effects of the growth factor.