Retinopathy caused by diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. In some cases, retinopathy caused by diabetes will cause blood vessels to swell and leak fluid. Other times, new but abnormal blood vessels may grow on the surface of the retina and while the changes in vision may be progressive and not be noticed initially, without diabetic retinopathy treatment, blindness could certainly be one of the outcomes. Eye disease caused by diabetes has four stages and needs to be caught early so that effective diabetic retinopathy treatment and therapies can be mounted against a disease that wants to progress over time. Jesus talked often about blindness, but this blindness was the inability to see spiritually. "For judgment I am come into this world that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind." (John 9:39) Jesus was inferring that the most religious are often the most spiritually blind.
Every person who has diabetes is at risk for contracting this vision disease. It is estimated that forty to forty-five percent of all those with diabetes do contract retinopathy in some form or another. This means that in order to have diabetic retinopathy treatment that is effective, the individual that has been diagnosed with this disease should have a vision test once a year in order to have any sign of retinopathy treated early and aggressively. This disease usually affects both eyes and progresses in four stages: mild, moderate, severe and proliferative. By the time the disease reaches the fourth stage the chances for blindness are quite realistic without physician care. It is estimated that ninety five percent of all patients with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness with regular and comprehensive dilated eye exams.
One of the real disturbing things about diabetic retinopathy is the fact that it often has no symptoms. That is to say no symptoms in the early stages. This means that while someone who has had diabetes for a few years will most likely have no symptoms. Most diabetic retinopathy treatment experts say that symptoms of the disease don't really start showing up until about year twenty, but of course this will largely depend on how well the diabetic keeps the blood sugar levels under control. But all the while the disease is progressing, there is some damage being done to the eye, hopefully only mild damage. But that does mean that a diabetic sufferer will have to have yearly diabetic retinopathy treatment exams to gain combative treatment to keep the retinopathy from progressing aggressively.
For the person whose eyes are becoming damaged from diabetes, for example if the damage has extended to the proliferative stage, there are some surgical treatments that may help sight loss. Diabetes can cause the eye to leak fluid and blood and a laser surgery called focal laser treatment can help stem the flow. The laser seals off leaks with actual laser burns. Another treatment called scatter laser treatment actually shrinks blood vessels. This treatment often takes more than one visit to the ophthalmologist. A virectomy is actual surgery on the eye where an incision is made in the eye and several days of a hospital stay may be required. Surgery never is a final diabetic retinopathy treatment, but only one of the ways to help secure vision for the future.
Up till now, there is often no way that medicine taken orally can really help when issues in the eye begin to occur. It hurts even typing these words, but there are injections (ouch) directly into the eyeball that are given to help curb leaky blood vessels. Actually that laser isn't sounding so bad about now! But there is at least one medicine taken orally that is on the horizon called Arxxant that has yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Hurry up and get those pills here!
But seriously, all of these surgical techniques, as wonderful as they are, and the future medicine that is soon to arrive, as blessed as it might be, cannot stop the steady march of retinopathy caused by diabetes. Until a cure for that dreaded disease is found, life will always be tough for the diabetic. Some nerve damage is going to be inevitable, even when a person keeps his or her blood sugar levels as normal and level as possible. But the truly damaging aspects of the disease can certainly be kept to a minimum by keeping a good relationship with one's diabetic retinopathy treatment specialist. Stay on top of all the latest information on new treatments and medicines that will be coming on the market. Be an advocate for your own health issues.
Every person who has diabetes is at risk for contracting this vision disease. It is estimated that forty to forty-five percent of all those with diabetes do contract retinopathy in some form or another. This means that in order to have diabetic retinopathy treatment that is effective, the individual that has been diagnosed with this disease should have a vision test once a year in order to have any sign of retinopathy treated early and aggressively. This disease usually affects both eyes and progresses in four stages: mild, moderate, severe and proliferative. By the time the disease reaches the fourth stage the chances for blindness are quite realistic without physician care. It is estimated that ninety five percent of all patients with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness with regular and comprehensive dilated eye exams.
One of the real disturbing things about diabetic retinopathy is the fact that it often has no symptoms. That is to say no symptoms in the early stages. This means that while someone who has had diabetes for a few years will most likely have no symptoms. Most diabetic retinopathy treatment experts say that symptoms of the disease don't really start showing up until about year twenty, but of course this will largely depend on how well the diabetic keeps the blood sugar levels under control. But all the while the disease is progressing, there is some damage being done to the eye, hopefully only mild damage. But that does mean that a diabetic sufferer will have to have yearly diabetic retinopathy treatment exams to gain combative treatment to keep the retinopathy from progressing aggressively.
For the person whose eyes are becoming damaged from diabetes, for example if the damage has extended to the proliferative stage, there are some surgical treatments that may help sight loss. Diabetes can cause the eye to leak fluid and blood and a laser surgery called focal laser treatment can help stem the flow. The laser seals off leaks with actual laser burns. Another treatment called scatter laser treatment actually shrinks blood vessels. This treatment often takes more than one visit to the ophthalmologist. A virectomy is actual surgery on the eye where an incision is made in the eye and several days of a hospital stay may be required. Surgery never is a final diabetic retinopathy treatment, but only one of the ways to help secure vision for the future.
Up till now, there is often no way that medicine taken orally can really help when issues in the eye begin to occur. It hurts even typing these words, but there are injections (ouch) directly into the eyeball that are given to help curb leaky blood vessels. Actually that laser isn't sounding so bad about now! But there is at least one medicine taken orally that is on the horizon called Arxxant that has yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Hurry up and get those pills here!
But seriously, all of these surgical techniques, as wonderful as they are, and the future medicine that is soon to arrive, as blessed as it might be, cannot stop the steady march of retinopathy caused by diabetes. Until a cure for that dreaded disease is found, life will always be tough for the diabetic. Some nerve damage is going to be inevitable, even when a person keeps his or her blood sugar levels as normal and level as possible. But the truly damaging aspects of the disease can certainly be kept to a minimum by keeping a good relationship with one's diabetic retinopathy treatment specialist. Stay on top of all the latest information on new treatments and medicines that will be coming on the market. Be an advocate for your own health issues.
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Good post! Thanks for sharing this information I appreciate it. God bless!
Diabetic Retinopathy
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