THE IMAGE BELOW SHOWS WHAT A PERSON WITH DIABETIC RETINOPATHY WOULD SEE

Diabetes is a vascular condition which affects the blood vessel network of the body. There are Two main types:

1/ INSULIN DEPENDANT DIABETES – also known as type one, which develops more commonly in early age between 10-30 years of age (although older patients can get type 1 )

2/ NON – INSULIN DEPENDANT DIABETES – also known as type 2, which usually develops in later ages from 50 years and up.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of legal blindness in the working population, from ages 20 – 65 and those with Insulin dependant diabetes are at a higher risk of visual complications.

The diabetic retinal changes usually occur in three main stages, background diabetic retinopathy, pre proliferative and proliferative. The more advanced stages of DR will lead to a more severe impact on vision.

Background DR is characterised by microaneurysms, intraretinal haemorrhages, hard exudates and retinal oedema. This then leads to involvement of the macula causing central vision changes.

If the diabetes is uncontrolled this will continue to advance the retinopathy and lead to pre-proliferative changes which are characterised by, vascular changes, cotton-wool spots, dark blot haemorrhages and intraretinal microvascular abnormalities (IRMA). Below is an image of advanced pre-proliferative DR. At this stage visual complications will be seen.

Proliferative DR is the advanced stages and is characterised by, neovascularisation, which is new blood vessel growth due to ‘vasoformative substance’, vitreous detachment and pre-retinal or vitreous haemorrhage. Advanced affects on vision will be seen.

Please click on the links below to find out more about diabetes and diabetic retinopathy.l

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Complications/Long_term_complications/Retinopathy/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/diabetes/
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_rnib003653.hcsp?gclid=CO-Xrf-KzZoCFYeB3godZC0H3A