RCH’s Dr. Lai on the Air!
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in patients under 65 years old in America. Listen as Dr. James C. Lai discusses diabetic retinopathy with Dr. Kathleen Kozak on Hawaii Public Radio’s The Body Show on 9/15/2014 at 5PM HST on HPR2 89.3!
UPDATE (9/19/2014): Big thanks to Dr. Kathleen Kozak, The Body Show, and Hawaii Public Radio for the very informative interview! If you missed it, please listen to it here:
Hawaii Public Radio’s The Body Show
Used with Permission
© 2013-2014 Hawai’i Public Radio
Also, if you want to know more about Age on Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), listen to Dr. Lai discuss AMD here with Dr. Kathleen Kozak on The Body Show!
Hawaii Public Radio’s The Body Show
Used with Permission
© 2013-2014 Hawai’i Public Radio
Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is an eye disease caused by abnormal changes in blood vessels in the retina. The retina is a light-sensitive layer of cells in the back of the eye. The retina is similar to a camera’s film where the image is produced. Therefore, a healthy retina is important for good vision.
There are typically no symptoms in the early stages of DR. As the disease progresses, blood vessels may leak. In other cases, abnormal blood vessels may develop on the retina. When blood leaks under the center of the retina, swelling may occur. This is known as diabetic edema and results in blurry vision. Blood can leak into the center of the eye, block vision, and even destroy the retina. This is known as proliferative retinopathy. It is very serious and can cause permanent vision loss. Both type I and type II diabetics are at risk for DR, which usually affects both eyes. Due to the lack of early symptoms of DR, see your doctor regularly before permanent damage to your vision occurs.
Doctors will look for evidence of a damaged retina. This includes:
- Macular edema
- Abnormal changes in blood vessels
- Optic nerve damage
You will often be asked to sit a certain distance away from a chart with many letters on it. The letters on this chart are large at the top and gradually become smaller on the bottom. You will be asked to read as many letters as you can. A score will be created to calculate how well you can see. For example, people with good vision have 20/20 vision (this person can see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can see at 20 feet). This is known as a visual acuity test. Doctors will often put drops in your eyes. These drops will dilate your pupil to make various tests easier to perform. Photos of the retina may be taken with a large camera called a fundus camera. Fundus cameras are designed to take a color photograph of the retina and optic nerve and is used to identify bleeding. To look for swelling, photos of the eye might be taken using a different camera. This camera flashes tiny lights into the eye and is able to photograph and measure thicknesses of the retina. These photos are valuable in identifying an abnormal shape of the retina caused by bleeding. A doctor may order an injection of an orange dye into a vein in your arm. This brightly colored dye is called fluorescein. This dye will circulate throughout the blood throughout your body. When the dye reaches your eye, it will highlight vessels on the retina and indicate where blood vessels are leaky or abnormal. Photos will be taken to help the doctor decide how to provide effective care. A doctor may evaluate these photos and inspect the eye by using special lenses to check the retina and the optic nerve.
A balanced diet and healthy lifestyle are key to protecting eyesight and overall health. Diabetic retinopathy is treated with laser treatment or surgery. Diabetic retinopathy can also be treated with injections of medicine into the eye. Dr. Lai and his team at RCH are helping major companies investigate less invasive treatment options against diabetic retinopathy.
At RCH, Dr. Lai and his team are actively participating in major clinical trials to combat diabetic retinopathy and other retinal diseases. RCH has participated in a clinical trial against diabetic edema (swelling of the retina) in 2008. The results of this 2008 study helped lead to the recent FDA approval of the drug Ozurdex. RCH will begin investigating the efficacy of a new drug on DME in late 2014 and is currently recruiting. RCH strives to bring state-of-the-art treatment to Hawaii communities and beyond.