Warning signs of Diabetic Retinopathy - Dr. Sunita Rana Agarwal

There are so many people world over falling with diabetes. In India it is even more so. It has been estimated that if anybody has diabetes,90%of them have diabetic retinopathy and that means on the retina, blood has leaked out. There are also other causes of diabetes leading to blindness which are cataract and glaucoma. However the most important part is diabetic retinopathy .What happen here the blood vessels, which has to go with clear blood is going with blood which is real high glucose and elements. So the blood flowing is of real high glucose level and the walls of the vessel is disintegrating. So there is a leak of the vessel. Wherever the blood has leaked, wherever there is actual circulation of oxygen is not reaching. So subsequently, new blood vessel s are going to grow, which are even weaker than the mild ones and they keep rupturing, So as they keep rupturing, the retina and the eye fills up with blood. So we have to a vitrectomy and take out the blood from inside the eye. This will lead to vision loss as it would have pulled up the retina. We call it as a tractional retinal detachment. This can be prevented. That is by laser treatment upon the retina. Very low threshold laser treatment is prescribed and the laser produces a photochemical change on the retina, strengthening the retina, thereby allowing it to have a leak. So it has already strengthened all the blood vessels. It has been estimated by the statistics of past 30 years, when the patient has been laser treatment the impact of diabetic retinopathy has been reduced by 30%. Add to that, we do genetic engineering that is we take one drop of his blood, make patient own DNA, make the patient’s own stem cells, give it back to the patient as injections. This will heal the eye how much eye damage has occurred in the eye. With a longer course of treatment, it will reduce the diabetic element. Diabetes is a progressing disease.