Diabetes (diabetes mellitus)

The retina contains all photoreceptors, but also many small vessels. Diabetes damages vessels throughout the body, including in the eye.

The detection and treatment of retinal diseases caused by diabetes requires a great deal of experience, clinical skills and close cooperation with colleagues in internal medicine and general practitioners. This is because the ophthalmologist can only treat the retina successfully if the blood sugar, blood pressure and blood lipids are within the normal range.

Long-term high blood sugar levels, as well as high blood pressure and increased blood lipids, can cause damage to the blood vessel wall and, as a result, fluid and blood can leak from the vessels. If fluid leaks in the area of the macula, this leads to an immediate deterioration in vision.

How can retinal damage due to diabetes be treated?

Some changes can be treated with a retinal laser.

However, if fluid leakage occurs in the area of the macula (diabetic macular oedema), anti-VEGF preparations or corticosteroids, which are administered by injection into the eye, can be used. This injection is administered under local anesthesia and is not considered painful.
With the help of these medications, retinal swelling can be massively reduced in most cases. This subsequently leads to an improvement in vision, which can be well maintained with close care.
The decision as to which therapy is suitable for you must be made individually by an expert.

As head of the outpatient clinic for degenerative macular diseases (AMD, diabetes, macular edema following vascular occlusion), we are happy to advise you and take over the preventive examination or treatment and further care.