People with diabetes also suffer from diabetic macular edema which is one of the biggest causes of vision loss. In order to protect your vision and maintain good eye health, it is first important to know about this eye-related problem along with maintaining normal sugar levels.
What is Diabetic Macular Edema?
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among people with diabetes. This illness involves damage to the small blood vessels of the eye’s retina. When the fluid from these damaged blood vessels leaks into the macula, an area in the centre of the retina helping with our vision, it causes swelling.
Causes and Symptoms of Macular Edema
Consistent high blood sugar levels weaken blood vessels in your eyes. This can lead to blood vessels leaking into the retina. Due to uncontrolled blood sugar levels, when the fluid seeps into your retina, it can cause diabetic macular edema. This leakage leads to swelling in the retina, which hampers the function of your macula.
Diabetic Macular Edema Symptoms
Symptoms include:
- Blurry and wavy images.
- Colours that look washed out.
It is important to see your doctor immediately when you experience these symptoms.
Read More: Cramps and Leg Pain in Diabetes
Monitoring and Diagnosing Diabetic Macular Edema
A non-invasive test called optical coherence tomography, can measure the thickness of the retina using the light. This helps identify whether someone needs to be treated for DME or whether the ongoing treatment is working or not.
However, it is important to diagnose DME in advance or during the earlier stages. Long-term delay can badly impact your sight. Your doctor may ask these questions.
- Have you noticed changes in your vision? If so, what kind?
- Have you been diagnosed with diabetes? If so, when?
- Does anyone in your family have it?
- How have your blood sugar and A1c levels been lately?
- Do you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
- Do you have any other medical conditions?
Treatment and Prevention
Lower your hemoglobin A1C levels, which helps slow down the advancements of diabetic macular edema. Hence, protects your vision. Eye treatments like the previous laser treatments, which seal off capillaries to stop leakage. Now, eye injections are better able to protect against blood vessel growth and leakage.
Diabetic Macular Edema should involve mainly the sugar test to see the balance of blood sugar levels. Moreover, you can use a glucometer which syncs with the diabetes management app. The sugar in blood will decide the severity of this progressive disease of the eyes. This will not only be able to control the progression of the disease but also prevent the damage it causes. Normal sugar levels also have various other benefits like better diabetes management.
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