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Diabetes and the Eye
Maurice Mosseri, MD is a
nationally recognized ophthalmologist (eye doctor) in the medical and
surgical management of diabetes and the eye. With offices in Manhattan,
Brooklyn, and Queens, New York, Board Certified Ophthalmologist, Maurice
Mosseri, MD is consulted by a wide variety of eye doctors for the
treatment and management of diabetes and the eye.
Diabetes and its complications can affect many parts of the eye. Diabetes
can result in cataracts, glaucoma, and a lack of eye muscle coordination
and in decreased corneal sensitivity. Visual symptoms of diabetes include
fluctuating or blurring of vision, occasional double vision, loss of
visual field and flashes and floaters within the eyes. Often the early
signs of diabetes are detected in a thorough ophthalmologic examination.
Glaucoma Consultants of New York specialize in treating individuals with
diabetes.
 How does
diabetes affect the eyes?
If your blood glucose levels are too high or they are not well controlled,
you may have blurred vision and your eyeglass prescription may change. It
may also be hard for your eyes to focus properly. Controlling your blood
glucose levels usually fixes this. As well, diabetes can lead to other eye
problems, such as cataracts, double vision, or glaucoma.
An important cause of vision problems in people with diabetes is “diabetic
retinopathy.” This is a change in the tiny blood vessels that feed the
retina. In the early stages, the blood vessels weaken and leak fluid or
tiny amounts of blood. This causes swelling of the retina. This is called
“nonproliferative” or “background” retinopathy. At this stage you may have
normal vision or you may notice that your vision has blurred or changed.
About 1 in 4 people with diabetes have some nonproliferative retinopathy.
When retinopathy is more advanced, the blood vessels become blocked or
closed and parts of the retina die. New, abnormal blood vessels grow to
replace the old ones. This is called “proliferative” retinopathy, and it
affects about 1 in 20 people with diabetes. The new vessels are fragile
and often bleed into the eye, blocking your vision. Then scar tissue
forms, and it shrinks and tears the retina and makes it bleed or even
detach from the back of your eye. This can lead to severe visual loss or
blindness. Fortunately, this happens in only a small percentage of people
with diabetes.
The longer you have diabetes, the higher your risk of having diabetic
retinopathy. Most people who have had diabetes for more than 20 years have
some form of retinopathy.
How is
diabetic retinopathy diagnosed?
If diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed early enough, your doctor may be able
to prevent or delay severe vision loss. People with diabetes should have
an annual eye exam by an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist may take a
special photograph of your retina called a “fluorescein angiogram.”
How is diabetic
retinopathy treated?
Laser treatment seals leaky blood vessels and stops the growth of new
ones. There are advantages and few disadvantages to laser treatment. Your
ophthalmologist will discuss the benefits and risks of laser treatment with
you. In cases of more advanced retinopathy, the benefits usually outweigh
the risks.
If retinopathy is not treated (or sometimes even if it is treated), some
people bleed heavily into their eye. To treat this, the ophthalmologist
has to do a delicate operation called a vitrectomy to remove the blood and
scar tissue. You may also need surgery if your retina detaches from the
back of your eye.
To
schedule an appointment to diagnosis or treat diabetes and your eyes, or
if you have any surgical or nonsurgical questions pertaining to your eyes,
please feel free to contact Board Certified Ophthalmologist, Maurice
Mosseri, MD at any of his New York offices - Brooklyn, Queens, or Manhattan, or send an email to
info@drmosseri.com.
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