Q: I have been on diabetes medications for several years and noticed lately my vision was a little off, and likely needed new glasses. I was shocked when my eye doctor told me I had bleeding in my eyes! How could I have known or prevented this?
A: Diabetes is such a common and growing disease in America today, but too often we do discover serious intraocular complications in unsuspecting patients. Like so many eye diseases, people often have little or no symptoms of diabetic eye complications. It seems most diabetics are seeing their primary care doctor regularly, but may not realize annual ( or more often ) eye exams are essential.
Even if you’ve been told you’re “borderline” or “pre-diabetic”, the effects of this vascular disease may be causing changes in the tiny blood vessels inside your eyes. Essentially, the walls of the intraocular blood vessels can begin to leak….either serum or actual blood, inside the eye. This problem is basically painless and unless leakage occurs right in the center of your vision, you likely would not suspect anything is wrong.
Good news is that we now a new diagnostic tool to identify patients at higher risk before bleeding begins. Most people know that an EKG is commonly used to assess heart function, but very few know that an ERG is now available to assess retina function…..and can help predict the need to intraocular medical treatments. This new in-office, non-invasive test actually measures the strength and speed of the electrical signals your retina sends back to your brain. Diabetic retinal function is an excellent “objective” measure of diabetic risk, as compared to our normal “subjective” assessment of looking at your retina for signs of progression.
Generally, seeing your primary eyecare provider….your Optometric Physician or your Ophthalmologist…..each year is a good habit to begin. Most of all, do not wait to feel or to see changes in your vision before you schedule your eye exam. Early intervention with systemic medical changes, or retinal medical treatment, is critical for prevention of permanent eyesight damage or loss.