What to Expect After Getting Eye Injections for Diabetic Eye Disease

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication that if not treated properly can limit your vision or even lead to blindness. If your doctor recommends injections to treat it, read on to find out what to expect.

Of the estimated 38 million people in America that struggle with diabetes, around 20% (one in five) are unaware they have it, meaning they aren’t taking any steps to manage it and may find themselves dealing with complications of it in later stages when it’s harder to manage. One such complication is diabetic retinopathy, which damages your vision and can even lead to blindness.

Treatment options for the form of retinopathy vary depending on what stage you’re in, and there are several injections that can help manage the problems connected with it. To learn more about what to expect from eye injections, let’s explore the damage this illness does to your eyes, what injections do to help, and the injection process.

If you live in the Muncie, Indiana, area and you’re looking for diabetic eye care, Dr. Jeffrey Rapkin and his skilled medical staff at Retina Consultants of Muncie can help.

The damage diabetic retinopathy does to eyes

Diabetes is a chronic condition that results from hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Diabetic retinopathy damages your eyes by affecting the blood vessels in the retina. It affects your eyes in two stages:

Early stage

Also known as nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), this is when the walls of the retinal blood vessels weaken and tiny bulges start protruding and bleed into the retina itself. This can lead to edema (fluid buildup) in the macula (the center of your retina), which decreases vision and can cause permanent vision loss without treatment.

Advanced stage

Generally referred to as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), this stage shows abnormal blood vessels' growth after the damaged ones close off. These newer blood vessels are weaker and frequently leak into the vitreous (the substance that fills the center of your eye). The scar tissue that forms from this process leads to retinal detachment, increase in eye pressure, and eventual retinal nerve damage and glaucoma.

How injections help to treat it

The two types of injections used to treat this condition are anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and corticosteroid injections/implants. The first is designed to block the VEGF that develops, which causes abnormal blood vessel growth. The second is used to improve macular edema by reducing eye inflammation in the form of either an injection that lasts for up to a month and a half or an implant that can last for years.

The injection process

Our team manages both injections in the same manner, starting with cleaning the skin around the eye and covering it. Next, our team holds your eye open by hand or with specialized clips and numbs it so you can relax. Then, Dr. Rapkin carefully inserts the very small needle. You may feel a slight pinch or sting, but it’s over quickly.

After the injection, you may experience slight eye irritation, itchiness, and a feeling of heaviness in the injected eye that can last for a couple of days.

Injections can help a great deal to reduce the issues diabetic retinopathy causes, but catching it early will help you preserve your vision longer. To prevent eye complications, make an appointment with Dr. Rapkin and Retina Consultants of Muncie today.