Non Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

People with diabetes can have an eye disease called diabetic retinopathy. This is when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy affects up to 80 percent of those who have had diabetes for 20 years or more. At least 90% of new cases could be reduced with proper treatment and monitoring of the eyes.

Symptoms of Non Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

The symptoms of diabetic retinopathy often don’t appear until major damage occurs inside of the eye. They include

• Blurred vision/ loss of vision
• Seeing floaters or dark spots
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Difficulty distinguishing colors

Non Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Risk Factors

• Diabetes: The longer a person has diabetes, the more likely he or she is to develop diabetic retinopathy, particularly if the diabetes is poorly controlled.
• Medical conditions: other medical conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol increase the risk
• Pregnancy
• Heredity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Diet

Stages of Non Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Mild non proliferative diabetic retinopathy – swelling in small areas of the blood vessels in the retina.

Moderate non proliferative diabetic retinopathy – some of the blood vessels in the retina will become blocked leading to hemorrhages.

Severe non proliferative diabetic retinopathy – more blocked blood vessels, which lead to areas of the retina no longer receiving adequate blood flow

Diagnosis of Non Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Visual acuity testing: This measures a person’s vision.

Tonometry: This test measures pressure inside the eye.

Pupil dilation: Drops placed on the eye’s surface widen the pupil, allowing a physician to examine the retina and optic nerve.

Comprehensive dilated eye exam:

It allows the doctor to check the retina for:

• Changes to blood vessels or leaking blood vessels
• Fatty deposits
• Swelling of the macula (Diabetic macular edema)
• Changes in the lens
• Damage to nerve tissue

Optical coherence tomography (OCT):

It uses light waves to produce images of the retina to assess the amount of fluid.

Fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA):

During this test, your doctor will inject a dye into your arm, allowing them to track how the blood flows in your eye. They’ll take pictures of the dye circulating inside of your eye to determine which vessels are blocked, leaking, or broken.