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Diabetic retinopathy (also known as diabetic eye disease) is a medical condition in which damage occurs to the retina due to diabetes.It is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries and one of the lead causes of sight loss in the world, even though there are many new therapies and improved treatments for helping people live with diabetes.
Mild signs of hypertensive retinopathy can be seen quite frequently in normal people (3–14% of adult individuals aged ≥40 years), even without hypertension. [4] Hypertensive retinopathy is commonly considered a diagnostic feature of a hypertensive emergency although it is not invariably present.
Similar to hypertensive retinopathy, evidence of nerve fiber infarcts due to ischemia (cotton-wool spots) can be seen on physical exam. Symptoms may include headache, nausea , or vomiting . Chest pain may occur due to increased workload on the heart resulting in inadequate delivery of oxygen to meet the heart muscle's metabolic needs .
Other symptoms accompanying a hypertensive crisis may include visual deterioration due to retinopathy, breathlessness due to heart failure, or a general feeling of malaise due to kidney failure. [3] Most people with a hypertensive crisis are known to have elevated blood pressure, but additional triggers may have led to a sudden rise. [4]
Cotton wool spots are typically a sign of another disease state, most common of which is diabetic retinopathy. [2] The irregularly shaped white patches are a result of ischemia , or reduced blood flow and oxygen, in the retinal nerve fiber layer , which is located in the distribution of the capillaries of the superficial layer of the retina. [ 2 ]
The causes of macular edema are numerous and different causes may be inter-related. It is commonly associated with diabetes.Chronic or uncontrolled diabetes type 2 can affect peripheral blood vessels including those of the retina which may leak fluid, blood and occasionally fats into the retina causing it to swell.
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Frequently, retinopathy is an ocular manifestation of systemic disease as seen in diabetes or hypertension. [3] Diabetes is the most common cause of retinopathy in the U.S. as of 2008. [4] Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-aged people. [5]