Diabetic Retinopathy Flashcards
What causes diabetic retinopathy?
It is caused by prolonged high blood glucose levels, which over time causes damage to the small blood vessels in the retina.
This can cause haemorrhages, exudes and swelling of the retina.
This then starves the retina of oxygen, and abnormal blood vessels may grow.
Good blood glucose levels control helps to lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy.
What occurs when someone gets diabetic retinopathy?
The change in blood glucose levels of a patient with diabetes causes changes in the blood vessels.
Sometimes, the vessels swell up (macular oedema) and leak fluid into the rear of the eye.
In other cases, abnormal blood vessels will grow on the surface of the retina.
Gradually, diabetic retinopathy becomes more serious and progresses from “background retinopathy” to seriously affecting the persons vision and eventually causing blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy progresses through three clear stages:
Background neuropathy
Maculopathy
Proliferative retinopathy.
What is diabetic retinopathy?
This is the most common form of diabetic eye disease. It usually affects people that have had diabetes for a long time and can result in blindness.
Retinopathy can affect all diabetics, and becomes particularly dangerous when it has been left untreated.
The longer a person has had diabetes, the greater their risk is of developing diabetic retinopathy.
