Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions, affecting over 100 million people in the U.S. and millions more worldwide. It often arises due to elevated blood sugar levels caused by the body losing the ability to process sugar. 

While the physical effects of diabetes are well known, its impact on vision is much less thought of or talked about. However, it must never be ignored as the symptoms of diabetes manifest first in the eyes before they impact any other body part. 

Diabetic Retinopathy or DR

Indivduals with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is by far the most common disease. It is still a significant contributor to adult blindness. This condition affects the cells on the retina, the photosensitive cell at the back of the eye. 

It usually develops when the blood vessels that supply these cells become damaged or new abnormal ones form over the cells. The condition takes three primary forms, depending on the type of diabetes you have, how long you have had it, and whether you have had treatment. 

Background Retinopathy

This form is easiest for patients with this condition because you can still see despite your blood vessels being damaged. But if you do not get treatment, the damage can worsen and eventually impact your vision. 

Maculopathy

This type of DR affects the macula, a delicate region of the retina that controls central vision, which is essential for activities like reading, driving, and face recognition. It usually causes the macula to swell, causing the cells to deteriorate and leading to poor-quality vision. The swelling can be severe and hard to treat or mild and easy to reverse. 

Proliferative Retinopathy

This form of DR is the most severe and usually occurs when blood vessels in your retina fail to deliver oxygen to the cells. This results in the development of abnormal blood vessels that are not strong enough and typically start to leak. This may also lead to the formation of scar tissue that can pull at your retina, which can result in detachment. 

Technology and Diabetes-related Eye Conditions

Technology is most useful in diabetic eye care for diagnosis and management. A dilated eye exam is the most definitive test to determine whether you have DR. In this exam, the eye doctor dilates your pupils with eye drops and then examines the structures at the back of the eye. 

Eye doctors do not have to rely on their eyes but on computerized imaging during the dilated eye exam. They rely on a device that takes pictures of the back of the eye through your dilated pupil. The test is painless; the only side effect is blurry vision until the eye drops wear out. 

AI Analysis

Further advancements have led to computers capable of identifying signs of pathology independently. They scan the retinal images for even the slightest signs of neovascularization or lesions characteristic in DR. AI also helps the eye doctor identify areas that may be at risk of damage. 

Management

When you have diabetes, regular eye checkups are critical. By having pictures of previous eye exams, the eye doctor can better reference how well you manage your sugar levels. With AI, eye doctors can now identify the slightest changes in the images that may be hard to spot with human eyes.

For more on how technology is improving diabetic eye care, visit Bluebonnet Eye Care at our office in San Antonio, Texas. Call (210) 696-6500 to book an appointment today.