If you have diabetes, you may have noticed that your vision has been a little blurry lately, not as clear as it used to be. You may see things clearly up close, but your peripheral vision may be a little blurry. Often, when you start to experience this type of vision problem, you may have been developing a condition called Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), an eye condition caused by diabetes. But don't worry. If we are aware of this, recognize it early, and start treating it, we can stop this condition from getting worse, and sometimes even reverse it.
What really happens to the eye? Diabetic Retinopathy
Simply put, if you have DME, the underlying cause is a condition called Diabetic Retinopathy . This is what happens.
At the back of our eyes is a very sensitive layer called the retina . It's like the film in a camera. The images of what we see are recorded here. The retina is supplied with blood by very fine blood vessels. When blood sugar levels are high for a long time due to diabetes, these fine blood vessels become damaged.
These damaged blood vessels swell and begin to leak fluid. Sometimes these vessels become completely blocked, cutting off blood flow to parts of the retina.
If this bleeding occurs in the macula, the part of the retina that helps us see clearly when we look straight ahead, fluid accumulates there and swells. That's what we call DME (Diabetic Macular Edema) .
But the problem doesn't stop there. As the disease progresses, the body tries to repair the damage by creating new blood vessels. But these new blood vessels are very weak and fragile. They can burst easily, causing bleeding into the eye. All of this affects your vision in different ways.
| Symptoms you may experience | Simply put, that means... |
|---|---|
| Floaters | Seeing small black dots or balls of thread floating in front of the eye. These could be small blood clots that have leaked into the eye. |
| Blurry Vision | Not only is the vision straight ahead blurred, but the surrounding vision is also blurred and unclear. |
| Retinal Detachment | Due to the pulling caused by weak blood vessels, the retina can detach from the wall of the eye. This is an emergency and can lead to complete loss of vision. |
Another problem inside the eye: Vitreomacular Traction Syndrome (VMT)
This is another complication. Imagine that inside your eye, there is a clear jelly that looks like egg white, filling the eyeball. In medical terms, we call it the vitreous . This jelly is attached to the inner wall of the eye, which is the retina.
As we age, this jelly gradually shrinks, becomes more watery, and begins to separate from the retina. Usually, if it comes off completely, there is no problem.
However, sometimes, especially in people with macular diseases like DME, this jelly does not completely separate and becomes stuck to the macula, which is located in the center of the retina.
What happens is that the contracting jelly pulls the macula to one side. This traction causes the macula to change shape, become wrinkled, and things you see when you look straight ahead can become distorted and appear pulled . This is called Vitreomacular Traction (VMT) .
Is it possible to lose your sight because of this?
Yes, this is the thing we all fear. DME is the leading cause of partial or complete vision loss in diabetics. It especially affects the central vision that is used for looking straight ahead, reading, and recognizing faces.
It can usually take years for vision to completely disappear due to DME, but if the central part of the macula is damaged, this process can occur very quickly.
If you already have poor vision, don't let it get to you. Talk to your eye doctor and ask about things like glasses and magnifying glasses that can help you see better.
So how do we protect our eyes?
This is the most important part. We must take action to protect our eyes.
The first and most important thing is to control your diabetes well . This means keeping your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. Sometimes this alone can be enough to reverse eye changes.
It is also extremely important to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels within target values. To achieve these goals,
- Eating a proper diet
- Regular exercise
- Weight control
Things like that will help you.
Another essential thing is to get your eyes checked on time . Don't skip this for any reason.
Remember, the best way to protect your vision is to have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist at least once a year if you have diabetes, rather than waiting until symptoms appear.
This test can detect conditions like DME before any symptoms appear. It also helps your doctor monitor how well your treatment is working.
Take-Home Message
- Although diabetic retinopathy (DME) is a serious condition, it can be well controlled if detected and treated early.
- Diabetes does not just affect one part of the eye. It can damage the blood vessels throughout the retina (Diabetic Retinopathy).
- Keeping your diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels under control is a big help in protecting your eyes.
- Even if you have no symptoms, if you have diabetes, it is essential to see your eye doctor at least once a year for an eye exam.
- If you notice a sudden change in your vision (e.g., blurring, black spots, distorted vision), see your doctor immediately.
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