Q.2: Are there any early warning signs of Diabetic retinopathy (DR)?
Q.3: Who are at risk of getting diabetic retinopathy?
Q.4: I am diabetic, how can I prevent Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)?
Q.6: How is retina checkup done?
Q.7: Will my eyes be dilated on every visit?
Q.8: Can I drive after retinal exam?
Q.9: When should I see a retina specialist?
Q.11: What are the common causes of floaters?
Q.12: What are the risk factors for a retinal detachment(RD)?
Q.13: What to do if I have floaters and flashes?
Q.14: What is retinal detachment?
Q.15: What is treatment of retinal detachment?
Q.16: How long does it take for a detached retina to heal?
Q.17: What is treatment of diabetic retinopathy?
Q.18: What is age related macular degeneration?
Q.19: is there any treatment for floaters?
Q.20: What is treatment of ARMD?
Q.21: What is venous occlusion CRVO/BRVO?
Ans: Vitreous is a thick transparent gel like substance that fills the eyeball between the lens and retina .It contains 99% of water and rest is a mixture of collagens, proteins, salts and glucose.
Q.2: Are there any early warning signs of Diabetic retinopathy (DR)?
Ans: No, symptoms may appear in the beginning/early stage. Yearly fundus/retinal screening is very important for early diagnosis and treatment to prevent vision loss.
Patient may experience floaters and blurred vision at advance stages.
Q.3: Who are at risk of getting diabetic retinopathy?
Ans: Long duration of diabetes, uncontrolled diabetes & frequent fluctuations blood sugar levels are most important risk factors. Other factors include hypertension, chronic kidney disease, deranged cholesterol levels.
Q.4: I am diabetic, how can I prevent Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)?
Ans: 1) Good control of Diabetes Mellitus(DM) and other factors like blood pressure, cholesterol levels help in preventing diabetic retinopathy.
2) Regular/annual retina/fundus examination by retina specialist.
Q.5: What is retina?
Ans: It is the layer at the back of eyeball that contain cells sensitive to light. They send impulses through optic nerve to brain.
Q.6: How is retina checkup done?
Ans: For retina checkup, the pupil are dilated(expanded) with the help of drops which are instilled in both eyes. The drops are put every 15 mins for up to 5-6 times and it takes about 45 to 90 minutes to achieve the full effect. It’s after this the retina specialist examines your retina, this test is also known as fundus examination.
Q.7: Will my eyes be dilated on every visit?
Ans: For retina checkup YES.
Q.8: Can I drive after retinal exam?
Ans: No, Due to dilatation. Person experience blurring of vision and its not safe to drive.
Q.9: When should I see a retina specialist?
Ans. Common symptoms of retinal disease are sudden loss of vision, distorted vision, floaters and flashes, peripheral shadows.apart from this individuals who have DM,HT, high myopia should undergo retina checkup every 6-12 months. Anyone more than 40 years should get a retinal check up every year.
Q.10: What are floaters?
Ans: Floaters are small specks of debris that move in and out of you field of vision. They are black and move with your eye movement
Q.11: What are the common causes of floaters?
Ans: Age, Diabetes are common causes of floaters.
Q.12: What are the risk factors for a retinal detachment(RD)?
Ans: Retinal detachment(RD) can happen to anyone at any age, however it is more common over the age of 40. It is commonly seen in people who had cataract surgery, myopia, eye injury, family history of RD, had RD in other eyes.
Q.13: What to do if I have floaters and flashes?
Ans: Mostly floaters are harmless, but are warning signs to get eye check up. In DM and HTN can be due to blood in eye. After PVD chance of retinal break is there. So we should not avoid floaters.
Q.14: What is retinal detachment?
Ans: When retina pulls away from layer of blood vessels that provide it with oxygen and nutrient symptoms include floaters and flashes and appearance of certain or shadow in front of Eye. It’s an emergency. If not treated it leads permanent loss of vision.
Q.15: What is treatment of retinal detachment?
Ans: Treatment depends on configuration of retinal detachment multiple options like pneumatic retinopexy, scleral buckling, vitrectomy are available but type of RD and associated pathology decide the choice of surgery.
Q.16: How long does it take for a detached retina to heal?
Ans: Improvement starts in 2 weeks after surgery. Retina may continue to heal for a year or more and it may take months to stabilise after surgery.
Q.17: What is treatment of diabetic retinopathy?
Ans: 1) Treatment depends on stages of diabetic retinopathy.
2) Initial stages may require regular retina checkup and good Blood sugar controlled.
3) In advance case retina laser is done to prevent bleed from new vessels.
4) More advance cases with persistent bleed and retinal detachment may need retina surgery.
5) Diabetic macular oedema may require Intravitreal injection (injection in the eye) and lasers.
Q.18: What is age related macular degeneration?
Ans: It is degeneration disease of control part of retina (which is important for clear vision) due to increasing age. It is of two type wet & dry.
Q.19: is there any treatment for floaters?
Ans: floaters do not require treatment root of the time. But underlying pathology/disease will need appropriate treatment.
Q.20: What is treatment of ARMD?
Ans: 1) dry ARMD cases treatment include multivitamins and micronutrient to reduce the progression of disease.
2) wet ARMD is treated with the help of intravitreal injection and in few cases with special type of lasers known as PDT.
Q.21: What is venous occlusion CRVO/BRVO?
Ans: it is occlusion of flow of blood in retinal veins. main risk factors for vein occlusion are hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes. Vein occlusion can lead to macular edema or formation of new vessels. which may eventually lead to blood in the eye
Q.22: What is CSR?
Ans: Central serous chorioretinopathy is the disease in which fluid is collects under the center of retina. Fluid leaks from the blood vessel layer under the retina. It is strongly associated with raised steroid levels within the blood stream.
Q.23: What is OCT?
Ans: optical coherence tomography is a non-invasive diagnostic test used for imaging of retina. it helps in early detection of any disease. It is used to diagnose macular disorders like ARMD, macular edema, macular hole, CSR.
Q.24: What is FFA?
Ans: Fundus Fluorescein angiography is a procedure to examine the tiny blood vessels in the eye.A dye called fluorescein is injected in your arm and serial photographs of eyes are taken. Dye highlight the blood vessel in the back of eye.