Diabetic Retinopathy Paper

The dry form is broken down into three stages; Early, Intermediate, and Advanced (National Eye Institute 3). In the Early stage, people have several small or few medium yellow deposits under the retina called drusen. This stage shows no symptoms or vision loss. During the second stage, Intermediate, more medium or even large deposits happen. As this happens, a blurred spot can develop and more light could be needed for reading. Lastly, in the Advanced stage, a breakdown of light-sensitive cells and tissue causes the blurred spot to enlarge and darken. In this latter stage, facial recognition is unlikely unless the person is extremely close. Either form of Macular Degeneration can only be detected by thorough eye exams. The exam should include visual acuity, which measures sight at varied distance intervals. Also, dilation of the eyes will allow an ophthalmologist to check the retina and optic nerve. An instrument called a Tonometer will measure pressure within the eyes (National Eye Institute 6).

Uncontrolled blood glucose levels damage retinal blood vessels, impacting the light-sensitive tissue that allows people to see fine details. The small vessel disease will develop in more than half of all people who have either form of diabetes, and it is the most prevalent cause of irreversible blindness among working-age Americans, according to the American Society of Retina Specialist. Symptoms may

Usually, a person would start off having dry macular degeneration and it would eventually turn into the wet macular degeneration. The "wet" macular degeneration is actually a condition called choroidal neovascularization. Choroidal neovascularization occurs when new blood vessels grow in the choroid layer behind the retina causing scar tissue and the retinal cells to

The most well known T2DM microvascular complications are diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy. Diabetic retinopathy (DR), the most common microvascular complication, is responsible for over 10,000 new cases of blindness in the United States each year [102] and is projected to affect >60% of T2DM patients by the first decade of disease [103]. DR is classified into 2 main stages: nonproliferative DR (NPDR) and proliferative DR (PDR). NPDR is further classified into mild, moderate, or severe stages with the earliest signs of NPDR including decreased pericyte coverage of the retinal capillaries [104] due to pericyte loss and microaneurysms (swelling of the retinal blood vessels) [105]. Pericytes

Patients with age-related macular degeneration may not notice any symptoms at first. The first noticeable sign is a gradual, or sudden, change in the quality of vision depending on which type of AMD is occurring. Straight lines will start to appear distorted (Kozarsky, 2017). Early dry AMD is diagnosed by the presence of drusen. This gradually can cause a dramatic loss of the center of vision. In the intermediate stage of AMD, the beginnings of vision loss are apparent, but there still may not be any other noticeable symptoms. At this time, optometrists will test for larger drusen and pigment changes in the retina (“Research into the Genetics of Macular Degeneration,” 2017). Other symptoms of age-related macular degeneration might include an

Signs/Symptoms: The way a person would know if they have Glaucoma, an eye disease that can make someone go blind, is by looking for the signs or symptoms. Symptoms of Open Angle Glaucoma are patchy blindness spots in the peripheral or central vision and “tunnel” vision in both eyes. The symptoms for Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma are, as said by Glaucoma - Symptoms and Causes by The Mayo Clinic “eye pain, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, “halos” around lights - which may be rainbow,” red eyes, and sudden sight loss. The symptoms of this kind of Glaucoma have no typical early warning signs. This is the reason people don’t notice it until it is too late, and they end up losing their vision if it is not treated.

When you have CRVO, a blood clot forms inside your central retinal vein. This can happen suddenly or gradually. The clot causes blood and fluid to leak out of the central retinal vein. The blood and fluid collect in the central area of your retina (macula). This causes vision loss or blurred vision in the affected eye. The blurriness or loss of vision may be complete or partial. Partial loss may get worse over hours or days.

A healthy eye produces a small amount of fluid inside the front portion of the eye equal to the amount of the fluid that flows out of the eye to maintain a stable eye pressure.If a patient has Glaucoma, the fluid does not flow out of his/her eye properly.Therefore, the fluid pressure builds up causing vision to fade away slowly.

Quite a number of health issues such retinal arteriolar narrowing has a strong correlation with coronary artery occulusion, venular dilation used as a predictor of clinical stroke and cardiovascular disease. (Liew, G.et al, 2008). Microvasular abnormalities that are viewed when using retinal vascular imaging, can provide insight to our body, which we still only know very minimally about. There are tons diseases and health issues that still have no warning signs or

Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease that can cause damage to many end organs, including the eye if it is not controlled.1 Diabetic macular edema is one of the many complications that can occur from Diabetes Mellitus. It defined as swelling or thickening of the eye’s macula, which results from blood vessels in the retina leaking fluids.2 The retina and macula work together to allow for sharp central vision.1 When individuals with Diabetes Mellitus have poorly controlled hyperglycemia, the blood vessels in the eye are weakened and can leak fluid.1 As a result, fluid is able to permeate into the retina and macula making these areas swell, which ultimately results in loss of vision.1 A consequence of diabetic macular edema involves the activation

Diabetic Retinopathy, or damage to the blood vessels of the retina, potentially leading to blindness

NPDR is the early stage of diabetic retinopathy. At this point, the blood vessels behind the retina have already started leaking blood or fluid, but the person may not actually notice any vision problems yet. Eventually people with NPDR can develop macular edema or macular ischemia and experience severe vision loss.

Diabetic retinopathy involves changes to retinal blood vessels that can cause them to bleed or leak fluid, distorting vision.

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of adult vision loss world-wide that offers a significant diagnostic challenge. The prevalence of DR increases with duration of diabetes [31]. DR is difficult to prevent and treat. Biochemical mechanisms, such as hyperglycemia, are proposed as possible pathogenic factors in DR, while retinal vasodilation and retinal hyperperfusion, related to hypoxia and the release of nitric oxide, may be key initiating factors in early DR developments [32-35]. Hyperperfusion, is associated with impaired vascular autoregulation, which may lead to increased epithelial wall tension and permeability, and subsequent leakage and microaneurysm development [36]. Disturbances are detected in many aspects of ocular circulation

Humans depend on all their sense to function in life and many take them for granted. A recent article details the several health conditions that cause blindness and how individuals are reaction to it. Given the importance of sight, Jane E. Brody educates the reader on the subject in a recent article called “The Worst That Could Happen? Going Blind, People Say?” Brody listed conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts as the primary disease that cause blindness. At the same time the article encourages education and early intervention to prevent such condition.