Understanding Retinal Injections for Diabetic Eye Disease: What to Expect
Managing blood sugar levels is the foundation of slowing diabetic eye disease, but advanced treatments can play a vital role in protecting your vision. Retinal injections are one of the most effective options for treating diabetic eye conditions like diabetic retinopathy. By delivering targeted doses of medication directly to the eye, these injections can prevent vision loss and reduce complications – often with minimal pain and few side effects.
Retinal Injections for Diabetic Eye Disease
Anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) drugs are a cornerstone treatment for diabetic eye disease. These injections target VEGF, a protein responsible for abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage in conditions like diabetic retinopathy. By slowing the development of these abnormal blood vessels and preventing leakage, anti-VEGF medications help protect the retina. Research shows that these injections can reduce the severity of diabetic retinopathy and lower the risk of it progressing to diabetic macular edema (DME), a leading cause of vision loss.
The Retinal Injections Process
Before the injection, your retina specialist will clean the skin around your eye. They'll use small clips to keep your eyes open and administer numbing drops. Then, they'll carefully guide a small needle into your eyeball to deliver the injection. The entire process only takes a few minutes and is generally not painful. You may experience some itchiness or mild eye irritation, but these symptoms should resolve within a day or two after the treatment. Your retina specialist will create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific condition, but most patients receive injections once a month until their vision stabilizes.
Schedule a Comprehensive Eye Exam with a Retina Specialist
Retinal injections can play a crucial role in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and other diabetic eye conditions, helping to prevent disease progression and preserve vision. At The Retina Eye Center, we’re dedicated to helping patients understand their treatment options. It’s normal to have anxiety surrounding retinal injections, but we’ll make the process as smooth as possible, guiding you through each step of the process. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our retina specialists in Aiken, South Carolina, or Augusta, Georgia.