Dr. Donate, specialist in Ophthalmology, explains how to know if you have diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy can manifest itself in different ways depending on the type of involvement. If it occurs in the central areas, there will be loss of vision, more or less accentuated, but normally it is usually only in a punctual way. Shadows and sudden losses may appear in cases where there is hemorrhage, but usually there is a progressive loss of central vision with dark areas that do not allow a normal life.
Treatment and diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy
The diagnostic procedure for diabetic retinopathy is similar to that of any other eye problem. The fundus of the eye, the retina, the vessels and their walls must be evaluated…
Currently, the great help of optical coherence tomography, the ability to see these vessels without having to touch them and to be able to compare them with other normal vessels, makes it possible to see the evolution of the patient visit after visit.
In addition, today there are slow-release intraocular corticosteroids available that can be placed inside the eye to regulate the processes that keep diabetic retinopathy within margins that allow the patient to live a life with useful vision.
Can it lead to other diseases?
Diabetic retinopathy, in the final stages, can lead to retinal detachment due to eye pressure.
At a local level, in the final stages it can lead to other problems that are very different and much more serious than in the initial stages.
It is also important to alternate the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy with other vascular processes that may occur, especially in the kidney, heart… This would serve as a risk marker.