diabetic retinopathy
For people with diabetic retinopathy, doctors may provide invasive medical procedures which, in most cases, merely delay "end stage" damage — permanent physical damage that profoundly affects quality of life. Fortunately, diabetic retinopathy is a potentially reversible health condition.
Contact us today and let us help you start the reversal process. In the meantime, consider the following facts about diabetic retinopathy:
- Diabetic retinopathy (DR), the most common diabetic eye disease, refers to diabetes-caused changes to the blood vessels in the retina. During the early stages of DR, these vessels may swell, leak fluids, or close off completely. At end stages, new abnormal blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina and later burst or bleed, leading to vision loss.
- The longer a person has diabetes, the greater the chance of developing DR.
- Up to 80% of all patients who have had diabetes for at least 20 years also have DR.
- Between 40% and 45% of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of DR, although up to half may not be aware that they have it.
- In the US, DR is the leading cause of blindness for people aged 20-74.
- 10% of diabetic patients will experience vision loss related to macular edema, a complication of DR.
Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially reversible health condition that Fettler Health can help you reverse if targeted early. If it is not reversed, the following complications associated with diabetic retinopathy have been known to occur:
No Signs, No Symptoms
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) often has no early warning signs or symptoms. In turn, the only way to detect DR in its early stages is by an ophthalmology examination. As DR progresses, symptoms may include spots or dark strings floating in one’s vision (floaters), blurred vision, fluctuating vision, dark or empty areas of vision, vision loss, and difficulty with color perception.
Blurred Vision
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a complication of diabetic retinopathy caused by the accumulation of fluid in the macula, the central part of the retina. DME is the most common form of vision loss for people with diabetes. Vision loss due to diabetic macular edema ranges from mild to severe and includes blurred vision and loss of central vision.
Blindness
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), the advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy, refers to the development and consequences of new, abnormal blood vessels that grow on the surface of the retina as a result of diabetes-caused damage to the retina. These abnormal blood vessels can lead to scar tissue growth and retinal detachment. If left untreated, PDR can cause severe vision loss including blindness.
Fettler Health provides the tools and services to help you reverse potentially reversible health conditions including those listed below.
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