Understanding Diabetic macular edema: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Diabetic macular edema

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

General

Diabetic macular edema is a complication that is more common in people who suffer from diabetes. This complication is caused where there is a build-up of fluid in the macula - the part of the eye that helps you achieve sharp and straight vision.

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Signs & symptoms

Common symptoms that characterize diabetic macular edema usually are blurred or double vision, sudden increase in eye floating objects, and even vision loss

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of diabetic macular edema usually starts when your eye doctor perform a comprehensive vision exam. Your may also asked to have the following exams: Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) With OCT - a machine that scans and measure the retina thickness; Fluorescein Angiography - A yellow dye is injected into a vein and moves through your blood vessels. Visual Acuity Test - an old, popular way to assess vision loss. It involves using a standardized chart with rows of letters.

Treatment

First line of treatment for diabetic macular edema is medications. The included medicines are Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (Anti-VEGF) drugs and steroid. In patients without respond to medication, laser treatment may be the next treatment option. The goal of the laser is to protect the vision you have and prevent future complications.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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I have been dealing with **diabetic retinopathy** for years, had the laser treatment and that didn’t help, had to do surgery to repair the retina. Now I’m dealing with glaucoma. Did surgery on my right to help reduce the pressure and now my vision in that eye is all screwed up and still not sure as to why. I been struggling more with mental parts as well because of this and sometimes it can be hard, however I have an amazing support group around me that I can lean on when I need them. But sometimes it is still a big struggle for me to lean on them for help. Also, I have been struggling with diabetes for 35 years. I was 14 when I was diagnosed. As you know some days are better than others.

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