Diabetic Eye Disease Treatment What You Need to Know

1. Di a b e t i c E y e Di s e a s e T r e a t me nt Wha t Y ou Ne e d t o K now Diabetic eye disease is something you need to make yourself knowledgeable about once you are diagnosed with diabetes. Patients with Type I and Type II diabetes are at risk of diabetic eye disease, know as diabetic retinopathy. When diagnosed with diabetes you will be required to have your eyes tested for eye disease once a year. The good news as this isn't a sudden problem, it happens over a long period and develops very slowly. Even if you have been diagnosed, you will find that you will be able to live with the condition for a good period of time before any diabetic eye disease treatment will need to be considered. Your eye care professional will check your eyes annually and if they identify eye disease, they will provide you with information on what to do and expect. Once the disease starts to develop severely they will refer you to an ophthalmologist, which is an eye surgeon with extensive experience in diabetic eye disease treatments. One of the first diabetic eye disease treatments you will be offered is laser treatment. Laser treatment is less invasive and can be used to seal any leaking blood vessels to protect the vitreous gel. The vitreous gel is found in the eye and this gives your eye it's shape. Reducing the risk of leaking blood is a positive step in reducing your eye disease. Once the blood starts to leak into the vitreous, then the next diabetic eye disease treatment will be offered, which is known as a vitrectomy. A vitrectomy is a more invasive procedure, but a very common surgery which is carried out as a day case, which means you can return home for recovery. A vitrectomy is a common procedure which involves the ophthalmologist carefully cutting a small incision in the eye and removing the vitreous gel. Once the gel is removed it is replaced with a saline solution and the incision is closed. You will be given very strict after surgery requirements which you must follow, this often includes holding your head at a certain angle to reduce pressure on the eye and help the eye heal. Bruising and swelling can be expected and you won't be able to drive for a few weeks after the surgery. The final diabetic eye treatment you may be offered includes steroids. The steroids are FDA approved and absorb into the body within four to six weeks. Steroids can help to slow down the eye disease development, reducing the need to consider a vitrectomy just yet. There are a few things you should be focusing on to ensure you keep your eye disease under control if you have diabetes. You want to reduce the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy and having to consider diabetic eye disease treatment.

2. The first thing you want to do is keep a close watch on your blood sugar, which you should be doing anyway. If you have only recently been diagnosed with diabetes and you have Type II, it's easy to not keep an eye on your blood sugar and continue with your bad habits. Diabetes means you need to change what you eat and drink, you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Identify the foods that are filled with sugar and avoid them, take your medication on time and check your blood sugar levels regularly to ensure you have your diabetes under control. Next you will want to keep an eye on your blood pressure. Reduce stress and alcohol consumption, have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. The final step is to attend your routine eye exams each year to identify if diabetic eye disease treatment is needed. About Us: Mahi Muqit is a leading consultant ophthalmologist, cataract and vitreoretinal surgeon at two private clinics in London, United Kingdom. He provides patients with superior service and support with a range of surgical procedures to meet their eye sight requirements. He has built up a solid reputation for his eye services in the London area as an expert eye doctor and surgeon offering surgical retina, medical retina and complex cataract surgery. He also offers surgery to patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy. Mahi Muqit is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, a member of the British and Eire Association of Vitreoretinal Surgeons and the UK and Ireland Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. To find out more, visit https://www.retinasurgeon.uk