Diabetic Retinopathy Process

This article goes in detail about the complications of Type 2 Diabetes, on how hyperglycemia damages the vascular system leading to microvascular disease and macrovascular disease. The complications of microvascular disease are diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic neuropathy. On the other hand, with macrovascular disease includes Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD), such as Atherosclerosis. Furthermore, the article gives recommendations of treating Type 2 Diabetes and the prevention of its health related complications with medication, screening, diet, and exercise.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can take two possible forms. Neovascular AMD (wet-AMD) or non-neovascular AMD (dry-AMD) as discussed in the introduction. The available treatment involved in curing patients suffering from AMD differs between the two types of the disease. Neovascular AMD has previously been treated by coagulation therapies of the blood vessel present in the fovea (part of the retina where the ability of vision is the highest). These therapies involve the use of infrared laser light to destroy any additional or new vascular cells in the fovea with the objective of avoiding the leakage of blood vessels. This would prevent photoreceptors from further being damaged and so won’t deteriorate vision any further. However,

Problems like cataracts, glaucoma, and damage to the retina (retinopathy) are issues for many people with diabetes. You must regularly visit an eye doctor, such an optometrist or ophthalmologist, in order to check for these potentially serious conditions.

Retinal vein occlusion is the second leading cause of vascular disorder after diabetic retinopathy.1 Retinal vein occlusions are classified into 3 categories depending on the location of the thrombus formation; branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), and hemi retinal vein occlusion (Hemi-RVO). 7 BRVO is considered to be the most common among the retinal vein occlusions.6 BRVO occurs more often in men than women. Asians (5.7 per 1000) and Hispanics (6.9 per 1000) are at greater risk of developing BRVO than other ethnicities.6 The age range of patients diagnosed with retinal vein occlusion ranges from young as 14 years of age to old as 92 years of age, with 51% of patients being older than 65 years.3 Advancing age is an important risk factor for developing retinal vein occlusions. Prevalence of retinal vein occlusions in 40-49 years old is 1.57 per 1,000, 4.58 per 1,000 in 50-59 years old, 11.11 per 1,000 in 60-69 years old, 12.76 per 1,000 in 70-79 years old, and 10.32 per 1,000 in those older than 80 years.6

Diabetic retinopathy which is the eye damage occurs to the retina due to diabetes, eventually leads to blindness. A systemic disease which affects up to 80 percent of all patients has diabetes for 20 years or more, it is an ocular manifestation of diabetes. Research indicates that at least 90% of these new cases could be condensed if there were proper and watchful handling and checking of the eyes despite these intimidating statistics. The extensive a person has diabetes, the advanced his or her chances of developing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy interprets for 12% of all new belongings

Diabetes is a common cause of blindness, with diabetic retinopathy accounting for 24,000 new cases on blindness annually. It is therefore likely that our patient, Mrs. Lopez, is experiencing vision problems because she has diabetes. One of the first tests conducted by the ophthalmologist in response to her vision problems was a fundoscopic (ophthalmologic) examination, so one of our learning issues is learning more about this test, learn how to interpret the images that we received, and understand how these issues may be caused by diabetes.

Do you know what the leading cause of blindness is in Americans from ages 20 to 74? It is diabetes an illness that changes the way the body breaks down and absorbs sugars. These changes, doctors feel, take away oxygen that the retina needs. (The retina is the back layer of the eye and it is where sharp images are formed.) When this happens’ some small blood vessels may become weak and break, vision problems occur when this blood leaks into the areas around the retina. Diabetes can also cause glaucoma and cataracts. Glaucoma is a disease that causes a lot of pressure in the eye because too much fluid builds up. Cataracts, on the other hand, cloud the lens of the eye and this makes a person feel like he or she is looking through a grimy window.

change its shape and tear the retina causing retinal detachment. It can treated can be treated

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness globally and in the U.S. adults younger than age 60. It is more common in individual with type 2 diabetes compared to those with type 1 due to long-standing hyperglycemia before diagnosis. Most people with diabetes eventually develops some degree of retinopathy and they are more likely to develop cataracts and glaucoma. The prevalence and severity of retinopathy are strongly related to individual’s age, the duration of diabetes, and the extent of glycemic control. Three stages of the retinopathy leads to vision loss; stage I – non-proliferative is characterized by thickening of the retinal capillary basement membrane and increased retinal capillary permeability, vein dilation, micro-aneurysm formation, and hemorrhages. Stage II – pre-proliferative there is progression of retinal ischemia with areas of inadequate perfusion that result in infarcts. Stage III – proliferative involves neovascularization (angiogenesis) and fibrous tissue formation within

Visual acuity does seem to be reasonably intact with patient wearing corrective lenses. Fundi showed diabetic changes but otherwise unremarkable.

119), produces a highly concentrated beam of light. In general, laser treatment involves creating either a very small burn or opening in the eye tissue (depending on the strength of the beam) to drain the aqueous humour and release the intraocular pressure. Initially, freezing drops are put into the eye and chin and forehead are placed onto a special microscope called a slit lamp. A special lens is that helps prevent blinking and guides the highly fixed beam of light is then placed in front of the eye. This is then followed by one of several possible laser treatments, chosen depending on the type of glaucoma present: Laser Trabeculoplasty – Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) and Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty (ALT); Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI); and Diode Laser

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

Type 2 diabetes is becoming more and more common in children and teenagers because of the increase in obesity in young people” (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2011). As a result, there a many risk factors and health risks associated with type 2 diabetes. Risk factors include people with poorly managed blood glucose, overweight, family history, and poor diet. In people with diabetes kidney disease or kidney damage is a complication of diabetes, the nephrons slowly thicken and become scarred over time. The kidneys begin to leak and protein (albumin) passes into the urine. This damage can happen years before any symptoms begin” (National Library of Medicine, 2014). Secondly, diabetic retinopathy is a condition which causes progressive damage to the retina, the light sensitive lining at the back of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy is the result of damage to the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina. They leak blood and other fluids that cause swelling of retinal tissue and clouding of vision” (American Optometric Association, 2014). Lastly, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2013) diabetic neuropathies are a family of nerve disorders which can occur overtime and develop nerve damage throughout the

Treatment of open-angle glaucoma usually begins with prescription eyedrops. These eyedrops lower pressure inside the eyeball, either by causing the eye to produce less fluid or by helping fluid to drain more. As an alternative to medication or when medication does not control glaucoma, laser surgery can be done. This surgery, also called laser trabeculoplasty, uses a laser to make the openings in the eye's drainage network larger. If medication and laser surgery are unsuccessful, conventional eye surgery may be necessary to make a new opening for fluid to leave the eye.

The eye is an organ that provides an organism with the ability to visualise its surroundings. It captures light and transmits the information to the brain to be processed. The eye is composed of numerous components that give rise a complex structure. These components have specific roles and ensure that the eye functions properly. However, the eye can lose its function through the degeneration of several tissues which may lead to permanent blindness, giving rise to diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Stargardt disease (SD) and Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) [12-14].