Seeing the Big Picture: What to Ask Your Doctor About DME

Despite our well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions, sugar is very much still a weakness for many in 2024. If you’re already diabetic and controlling your sugar intake as part of your daily routine, the start of the new year is an ideal time to lay out a plan with your doctor for maintaining and improving your health and wellness while also managing diabetes. This is especially true of current patients experiencing symptoms of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), or retinal thickening in the center of the macula. DME is currently the most common cause of vision loss in patients with either type 1 or 2 diabetes. These patients may develop symptoms that include blurry or double vision, increased difficulty distinguishing colors, and seeing dark strings or “floaters.” If you develop DME it means you already have diabetic retinopathy, a growth of abnormal blood cells in the retina of the eye. Both conditions are a result of poorly controlled blood sugar. However, vision loss may be prevented with early and persistent treatment. While diabetes can be reversed in most cases, diabetic retinopathy is not fully reversible. Mismanaged diabetic retinopathy may result from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gestational diabetes if you’re pregnant, and...