Table of Contents
What does diabetic macular edema look like?
The primary symptom of macular edema is blurry or wavy vision near or in the center of your field of vision. Colors might also appear washed out or faded. Most people with macular edema will have symptoms that range from slightly blurry vision to noticeable vision loss.
How serious is diabetic macular edema?
Sometimes, tiny bulges (microaneurysms) protrude from the vessel walls, leaking or oozing fluid and blood into the retina. This fluid can cause swelling (edema) in the central part of the retina (macula). This is a serious eye complication called diabetic macular edema that can cause vision problems or blindness.
Can diabetic macular edema be treated?
There is no cure for diabetic macular edema, but treatment can help slow progression of the condition and prevent blindness. People with diabetes should get a dilated eye exam every year to check for vision complications, according to the CDC.
Can you feel macular edema?
Macular edema causes painless blurring of central vision in one or both eyes. In some cases, the eye may be red or sensitive to light.
How do you fix diabetic macular edema?
To treat diabetic macular edema, doctors may use drugs that are injected into your eyes to help stop leaking, and to slow the growth of new blood vessels….These drugs include:
- aflibercept (Eylea)
- bevacizumab (Avastin)
- fluocinolone acetonide (Iluvien)
- pegaptanib (Macugen)
- ranibizumab (Lucentis)
Can macular edema be stopped?
If chronic retinal changes are left untreated, the vision loss they cause can be permanent. The good news: Treatments, including anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections, can help stop future progression of diabetic macular edema.
What happens if macular edema is left untreated?
If untreated, chronic macular edema can lead to irreversible damage of the macula and permanent vision loss. Macular edema is typically caused by increased leakage from damaged retinal blood vessels or growth of abnormal blood vessels in the deep retina.
What to expect when getting eye injections?
You may experience heavy tearing or mild redness for a day or two after the injection. You may also feel like something is in your eye which can be a reaction to the very low-dose iodine solution used to clean the eye. Artificial tears can help to alleviate any dryness or irritation.