Macular edema is a very real concern, particularly for people with diabetes, as 1-in-3 diabetics show some sign of the condition. If you have diabetes, and haven’t been to the eye doctor recently, you need to know the early signs of macular edema because allowing it to progress can lead to permanent vision loss or even blindness.
Early diagnosis can allow you to undergo treatment before your condition worsens.
What is Macular Edema?
The macula is a pigmented area in the center of the retina at the back of your eye. Macular edema is when fluids leak into the macula, causing it to swell and eventually distort your vision.
Macular Edema Early Warning Signs
Typically, macular edema doesn’t cause pain and symptoms may be difficult to detect, allowing the issue to progress. These symptoms often include blurred central vision, washed-out colors and difficulty reading. Usually, your peripheral vision will remain clear, so it’s really the central vision that you’ll notice is just not right.
Floaters and flashers can also present themselves, although the mere presence of them does not always indicate diabetic eye complications.
As mentioned earlier, left untreated, macular edema can cause permanent vision loss or blindness.
Macular Edema Risk Factors
Diabetes puts you at a much higher risk of macular edema, but you can also suffer from this condition if you are taking certain medications or have:
You may be able to reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy diet to keep your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar under control. Remaining active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can also help, as can quitting smoking.
Macular Edema Diagnosis
Comprehensive eye exams are your first line of defense to protect your vision from macular edema - or any eye condition.
If macular edema is suspected, your eye doctor will perform extensive tests to diagnose your condition, potentially including a dilated eye exam, optical coherence tomography or fluorescein angiography to see if there’s any leakage or macula swelling.
Macular Edema Treatment
If you do, in fact, have macular edema, early-stage treatments may include injections, pills or eye drops to stop the leakage and swelling.
If your macular edema is caused by retinal vein occlusion or diabetes, laser treatment may be recommended. Eye surgery, called vitrectomy, may be necessary to remove the excess fluid from your eyes in severe cases.
If you suspect you may have macular edema, or if it’s just been a while since your last comprehensive eye exam, contact North Florida Cataract Specialists and Vision Care today at 352-373-4300.