Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication that affects eyes. It is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes. People who have diabetic retinopathy often don’t notice changes in their vision in the disease’s early stages. As it progresses, diabetic retinopathy usually causes vision loss that in many cases cannot be reversed.

Diabetic retinopathy includes 3 different types:

• Background retinopathy.
• Diabetic maculopathy
• Proliferative retinopathy

Background retinopathy is an early stage of retinal damage when small blood vessels in the retina show signs of damage that can result from diabetes.

Diabetic maculopathy is a condition that can result from retinopathy. Maculopathy is damage to the macula, the part of the eye which provides us with our central vision. A common form of damage is from diabetic macular edema (DMO) in which fluid builds up on the macula. Diabetic maculopathy is often treated by laser surgery.

Proliferative retinopathy is a developed form of retinopathy whereby new but weak blood vessels begin to form on the retina to help restore blood supply. Proliferative retinopathy is the body’s attempt to save its retina but it can often lead scarring of the retina and can cause the retina to detach, leading to blindness. Modern eye treatment can help to prevent blindness from occurring as a result of proliferative retinopathy.

Symptoms may only become noticeable once the disease advances, but the typical symptoms of retinopathy to look out for include:

• Sudden changes in vision / blurred vision
• Eye floaters and spots
• Double vision
• Eye pain

Diabetic retinopathy risk factors include the following.

If any of the below affect you it’s worth having an retinopathy screening examination as quickly as possible.

• Duration of diabetes — the longer you have diabetes, the greater your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy
• Poor control of your blood sugar level
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Pregnancy
• Tobacco use
• Raised fats (triglycerides) in the blood
• Protein in urine

Can diabetic retinopathy be treated?
Laser surgery is often used in the treatment of diabetic eye disease, but each stage of diabetic retinopathy can be treated in a different way.

Patients suffering from background retinopathy will need regular eye examinations.

Maculopathy is usually treated with laser treatment (tiny burns that help to prevent new blood vessel growth and improve the nutrient and oxygen supply to the retina).

There is a team of professional doctors whose specialized in different areas of ophthalmology, and have experience in Russia and around the world!

More than 12 years experience, 2 clinics with modern medical appliance, international acknowledgement, all of this makes ophthalmic clinic “UZLLOVA” – as an leader in Albania on ophthalmology.