Diabetic Eye Disease Treatment in Imo State
Diabetes damages the small blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. This is called diabetic retinopathy, and it is one of the most common causes of sight loss in working-age adults. In its early stages it produces no symptoms at all, which is why everyone living with diabetes needs a retinal examination every year, whether or not their vision has changed.
How diabetes affects the eyes
Persistently high blood sugar weakens the walls of the tiny blood vessels that feed the retina. They begin to leak fluid and blood, and areas of the retina are starved of oxygen. In response the eye grows new, fragile vessels that bleed easily.
Fluid leaking into the macula, the small central part of the retina responsible for detailed vision, causes swelling called diabetic macular oedema. This is the most common reason people with diabetes lose reading vision.
Diabetes also raises the risk of cataract at an earlier age and of certain types of glaucoma.
Warning signs
Early diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms. By the time you notice a change, damage is often well established. Report any of these without delay:
- Blurred or fluctuating vision
- Dark spots, floaters or cobweb shapes drifting across your sight
- A sudden shower of floaters or a curtain across the vision. This needs same-day attention
- Difficulty reading or recognising faces
- Colours appearing dull
- Sudden loss of vision in one eye
Who needs screening?
Everyone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes needs a dilated retinal examination at least once a year, from the time of diagnosis. Screen more often if you:
- Have had diabetes for many years
- Have poorly controlled blood sugar
- Also have high blood pressure or raised cholesterol
- Have kidney disease
- Are pregnant, because retinopathy can advance quickly in pregnancy
How it is diagnosed
We dilate the pupils with drops and examine the retina in detail. The drops blur your vision for a few hours, so it is best to bring someone with you and not to drive yourself home.
Where further detail is needed, retinal imaging and other investigations help us see exactly where vessels are leaking and how much swelling is present. This is what determines whether you need treatment now or careful monitoring.
Treatment
The single most powerful treatment is good control of the diabetes itself: blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. This is what slows the disease at every stage, and it is work you and your diabetes doctor do together.
Where the retina is already affected, treatment options include laser treatment to seal leaking vessels and reduce the growth of abnormal ones, injections into the eye to reduce macular swelling, and surgery where there has been significant bleeding inside the eye.
Treatment is aimed at preserving the sight you have. It works far better when started early, which returns us to the same point: annual screening.
Book your annual eye check
If you are living with diabetes and have not had your eyes examined in the past year, book now. St Joseph’s Eye Hospital Mgbirichi provides diabetic eye screening for patients across Imo State and the South East.
Speak to our eye care team
Book an appointment at St Joseph’s Eye Hospital Mgbirichi, or call us to discuss your symptoms. We see patients from across Imo State and the South East.