Diabetic Retinopathy

One of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity in the world is diabetes mellitus. Diabetes damages most organ systems in the body by damaging blood vessels. This damage starts at the endothelial cells lining the inside of most blood vessels, and particularly those of the smallest blood vessels in the heart, brain, kidney, and the eyes. The eye exam is the only part of the physical examination where a doctor can directly examine blood vessels as small as a fraction of a millimeter. Diabetes mellitus is often first diagnosed by an ophthalmologist that notices the subtle signs of damage to very small blood vessels of the retina. Control of blood sugar and blood pressure are paramount in treating diabetes mellitus and preventing the damage that it can cause to various organ systems.

Diabetic retinopathy is a spectrum of retinal disease that ranges from mild microscopic vascular changes, to complete retinal detachment or neovascular glaucoma which can potentially cause irreversible and complete visual loss. In addition to control of blood sugar and blood pressure, diabetic patient often require various medical, laser, and surgical treatments that have been shown to help slow vision loss from diabetes mellitus. All diabetic patients or borderline diabetic patients need at least yearly exams by an ophthalmologist. Patients with more diabetic retinopathy or uncontrolled blood sugar, need more frequent ophthalmic examinations.