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Frequently
Asked Questions |
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Q: What is the
most common eye complaint in diabetic patients? |
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A:
Fluctuation in vision. The excess sugar
in diabetics can cause this condition. A good
control of blood sugar is recommended to minimize
this problem.
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Q: What is the most
common diabetic eye disease? |
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A:
Diabetic
retinopathy:
This disease is a leading cause of blindness
in American adults. It is caused by changes
in the blood vessels of the retina. In some
people with diabetic retinopathy, retinal
blood vessels may swell and leak fluid.
In other people, abnormal new blood vessels
grow on the surface of the retina. These
changes may result in vision loss or blindness.
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Q: Who is most likely
to get diabetic retinopathy? |
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A:
Anyone with diabetes. The longer someone
has diabetes, the more likely he or she is to
get diabetic retinopathy. Nearly half of all people
with diabetes will develop some degree of diabetic
retinopathy during their lifetime.
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Q:
How common are the other diabetic eye diseases?
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A:
If you have diabetes, you are also
at risk for other diabetic eye diseases.
Studies show that you are twice as likely
to get a cataract
as a person who does not have the disease.
Also, cataracts develop at an earlier age
in people with diabetes. Cataracts can usually
be treated by surgery. Glaucoma may also
become a problem. A person with diabetes
is nearly twice as likely to get glaucoma
as other adults. And, as with diabetic retinopathy,
the longer you have had diabetes, the greater
your risk of getting glaucoma. Glaucoma
may be treated with medications, laser,
or other forms of surgery. |
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Q: How can diabetes
affect my vision? |
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A:
If you have diabetes mellitus, your body
does not use and store sugar properly. High blood-sugar
levels can damage blood vessels in the retina,
the nerve layer at the back of the eye that senses
light and helps to send images to the brain. The
damage to retinal vessels is referred to as diabetic
retinopathy.
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Q: What is the treatment
for diabetic retinopathy? |
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A:
Most sight-threatening diabetic
problems can be prevented by laser treatment
if it is given early enough. It is important
to realize however, that laser treatment
aims to save the sight you have, not to
make it better. The laser, a beam of high
intensity light, can be focused with extreme
precision. So the blood vessels that are
leaking fluid into the retina can be sealed. |
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Q: Can diabetes cause
cataract? |
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A:
Yes. Uncontrolled blood sugar can result
in cataract
formation.
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Q: Can diabetes cause
bleeding inside the eye? |
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A:
Yes. This is the most important sign of
diabetic retinopathy. In early stages, the bleeding
is very minimal, in the form of small aneurysms.
These areas may leak. In later stages, the retina
loses its blood supply and new blood vessels grow.
These new blood vessels are very weak and cause
bleeding inside the eye.
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Q: What is the treatment
for bleeding inside the eye during diabetes? |
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A:
In early stages, an angiogram is
done to detect the sites of bleeding and
proper and timely laser treatment to clog
these sites can prevent further loss of
your vision. In later stages, surgery is
done to remove the blood. |
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Q: Can diabetes cause
retinal detachment? |
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A:
Yes. Bleeding and then scarring inside
the eye results in retinal
detachment due to traction.
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Q: Can diabetes cause
glaucoma? |
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A:
Yes. If new vessels start growing in the
angle (drainage area for the eye fluid), a type
of glaucoma
called “neovascular glaucoma” develops.
This is very difficult to manage.
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Q: Can diabetes result
in blindness? |
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A:
Yes. End result of uncontrolled diabetic
retinopathy is permanent blindness.
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Q: What can be done
to prevent diabetes related blindness? |
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| A:
A routine follow-up with your ophthalmologist
and early and proper treatment is recommended
to prevent this blindness. Depending on your
initial examination, you may need examination
every 3 months to once a year. Along with
an eye examination, a good control of your
blood sugar is very important. |
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Q: Why are regular
eye examinations so important? |
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A:
Most sight loss from diabetic retinopathy
can be prevented but it is vital that it is diagnosed
early. You may not realize that there is anything
wrong with your eyesight, so regular eye checks
are extremely important.
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Q: When does a diabetic
patient need to schedule an eye exam? |
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| A:
People with diabetes should schedule
eye exams at least once a year. More frequent
medical eye exams may be necessary after the
diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. You should
have your eyes checked promptly if you have
visual changes that affect only one eye; last
more than a few days; and not associated with
a change in your blood sugar. |
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Q: I am diabetic and
I am pregnant, what should I do? |
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A:
Pregnant women with diabetes should get
an eye exam in the first trimester because retinopathy
can progress quickly during pregnancy.
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Q: I need to be examined
for glasses, do I need to have a stable blood sugar
level? |
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A:
If you need to be examined for glasses,
it is important that your blood sugar be
in consistent control for several days when
you see your ophthalmologist. Glasses that
work well when the blood sugar is out of
control will not work well when sugar is
stable. Rapid changes in blood sugar can
cause fluctuating vision in both eyes even
if retinopathy is not present. |
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Q: What can I do to
protect my vision? |
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A:
Finding and treating the disease
early, before it causes vision loss or blindness,
is the best way to control diabetic eye
disease. Therefore, if you have diabetes,
make sure you get a dilated eye examination
at least once a year. |
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Q: I want to get my
eyes checked for diabetic retinopathy, what is the
next step? |
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A:
Schedule an appointment at NeoVision
Eye Center by calling toll free
at 1-877-NEOVISION
(1-877-636-8474). |
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