Glaucoma is a disease that can lead to blindness by destroying the optic nerve. There is an increased risk in developing glaucoma if you have diabetic retinopathy. I am not aware of such a risk with macular degeneration. "Open Angle Glaucoma" is the Most Common for in the U.S. There are many types of glaucoma, but most common in the U.S. is "open angle" glaucoma. All the structures of the … [Read more...]
Macular Edema: So Many Types
February 18, 2010 By 2 Comments
Macular edema simply means accumulation, or build-up, of fluid of the macula. Synonyms include; clinically significant macular edema (CSME), diabetic macular edema (DME), cystoid macular edema (CME) and retinal edema. There are slight nuances with some of the terms, but basically it means "swelling." Macular Edema - a generic term indicating fluid build up in the macula, but can be from any … [Read more...]
A1C Now Used to Diagnose Diabetes
January 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The American Diabetes Association now recommends basing the diagnosis of diabetes upon the hemoglobin A1C levels and not on fasting glucose tests. In addition, an A1C of less than 7.0% should be the target for glucose control. How with this impact the treatment of diabetic retinopathy? The change in recommendations stems from the fact that the A1C blood test is an easier, and faster, test … [Read more...]
American Diabetes Month: Diabetic Eye Disease, What Every Doctor Should Know (so, tell them!)
October 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment
November, 2009, is American Diabetes Month. In my effort to support American Diabetes Month, there are a few things that every doctor should know about diabetic eye disease. The list is short and very direct. Please share this with others; especially your doctors. I have been in practice since 1993. As a retina specialist, I take care of patients with diabetic retinopathy. There was a … [Read more...]
Diabetes Unlikely to Cause Blindness
October 14, 2009 By 9 Comments
Today's post is about one of my own observations from over 15 years in practice. While it is a fact that significant vision loss from diabetes is declining, it is not widely known that there is also a very finite time where patients with diabetes can go blind, there is only a finite time while the risk of blindness is highest. In short, the chance of a diabetic patient going blind these days … [Read more...]
Severe Loss of Vision from Diabetes is DECREASING!
October 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment
A new study released last week confirms that we are making terrific progress in saving sight! The incidence of severe vision loss in Type I diabetes has decreased significantly over the past 25 years. The rate of severe vision loss dropped from 1.19% in 1980-82 to 0.30% in 2005-07. Incidence: an individual's chances of developing a medical problem (e.g. severe vision loss) over a time … [Read more...]
Diabetic Retinopathy Vs. Macular Degeneration (Part 2 of 2)
September 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Good Morning! This is part 2 of 2. Part 1 was posted yesterday. Read Part 1. 6. Treatment with Avastin® or other anti-VEGF inhibitors Technically, both diseases may be treated with anti-VEGF inhibitors. Presently, I sometimes treat the neovascular component of diabetic retinopathy with Avastin® if pan-retinal laser photocoagulation (standard treatment) fails. More often, using … [Read more...]
Thirst, Frequency and Blurry Vision……Early Signs of Diabetes?
September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Excessive thirst, increased urinary frequency and blurry vision can all be early signs of undetected diabetes mellitus. What you already know. Diabetes mellitus is the body's inability to decrease the sugar in the blood. This "serum glucose" rises after every meal as our food is broken down into its basic components. In the normal situation, a rise in blood sugar causes insulin to be … [Read more...]
