Seeing is Believing: Treating Eyesight Loss

In a world that relies heavily on visual information, the loss of vision is perhaps one of the most debilitating things that could happen to anyone. The mere hint of blurry eyesight can already be a precursor to complete blindness. Several things can cause blindness, such as diabetes, and it can strike anyone regardless of age.

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that commonly plagues diabetics, and it's often attributed to hemorrhage in the blood vessels at the back of the eye. Those suffering from this condition initially experience blurred vision until the eyesight eventually gets obscured by the blood that leaks out from the blood vessel. The only way to treat this condition is to stop the bleeding.

Medical procedures that may involve corticosteroid injections are typically performed to arrest the injury and restore vision. Meanwhile, people diagnosed with diabetes must maintain healthy blood glucose levels to prevent or slow down retinopathy as well as to increase the accuracy and safety of any corrective eye surgery. In any case, only diabetics with well-controlled blood sugar levels and minimal diabetic retinopathy may qualify for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis or LASIK eye surgery, a minimally invasive procedure that modifies the refractive power of the cornea to enable clearer eyesight.