What is diabetes?

It is posing as major health problem around the world. It is a condition which impairs the body's ability to use and store sugar. Many diabetics develop ocular complication which is called Diabetic retinopathy due to changes in small blood vessels.

Which part of the eye does a diabetic affect?

It affects retina. Retina is like film within a camera. Visual impulses are received here by specialized cells and transmitted to the brain via optic nerve. The Macula is the area on retina that is responsible for vision. Any damage to macula results into loss of vision.

What is diabetic retinopathy?

1. The most common eye complication in diabetics. The other complication are early cataract and glaucoma
2. It produces visual symptoms only when it is very advanced. Since only eye surgeon surgeon can detect early symptoms of diabetic retinopathy.
3. Early detection and timely treatment disease significantly reduces risk of vision loss.

How does diabetic affect eye?

1. It produces weakening of the blood vessels in the body.
2. The tiny delicate retinal blood vessels are particularly susceptible.
3.  This damage retinal blood vessel accompanied by certain structural changes in retina.
4.  Later it results into loss of vision.

How diabetic retinopathies affect my vision?

1. Initially it is symptomless i.e. patient will have no complaints and they will have perfect vision.
2.  After some point of time patient may have swelling or bleeding of retina.
3.  It is treatable only at this stage and this can be identified only the examination of eye surgeon.

There are main cause of vision loss in diabetic retinopathy are.

1. Diabetic Macular Edema: weakened blood vessels leak and accumulation fluid in the retina cause swelling and exudation, resulting in moderate vision loss.
2. Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: when new abnormal blood vessel grow or proliferate, bleeding into vitreous may occur with sudden severe vision loss. This is called citreous hemorrhage. 
3. If repeated bleeding occurs, an abnormal growth of scar may lead to contracture and pull on the retina. This is called as traction retinal detachment (TRD).
4. It may be that the visual impairment due to DME has already started to affect your ability to do everyday things like reading, shopping and driving

When and how diabetic patient should have eye check up?

If you have diabetes, you should have detailed eye examination by retinal specialist at least once every year.

1. With no diabetic retinopathy – yearly check up.
2. Early diabetic retinopathy - 6 months check up.
3. Others as per ophthalmologist's recommendation, usually after every4-6 months.

What is the test that can be undertaken for check up?

1. Sit lamp Examination – the slit lamp examination provides magnified view of the eye structures in detail, enabling diagnoses to be made for variety of eye conditions. A hand held lens is used to examine retina.
2. FFA – it is an investigative procedure that supplements clinical evaluation. It involves injection of a dye into veins and photographing the retina with blue light.
3. OCT - Optical coherence Tomography is a technique for obtaining cross sectional images of retina.