Eye screening

These people may help @tim2000s @Dark Horse @Mel dCP

Maculopathy is the same and background retinopathy but it has spread into the macular which is your area of best vision. It may or may not require treatment but they will keep it under close observation. You may find by the time you visit the specialist it had cleared up by it's self.

@Viking01 after my last screening, I was referred to an eye specialist, due to diabetic maculopathy. When the specialist examined my eyes he gave me the all clear, saying that whatever the screening had shown had cleared up.

Hopefully you'll be told something similar.

I had this identified in both eyes..........very early stages..........attended the eye specialist every three months for a year and a half.....then eventually went back to annual photographs......

so it may seem scary, but it can get better if you keep control as tight as possible........

the trick is to attend all the appointments that are given as the earlier anything is identified, the better news it is....especially with the treatment available......

The macula is the part of the retina where light falls when we look directly at an object - it's therefore very important for reading, watching TV, looking at people's faces etc.. Sometimes diabetic retinopathy can affect the blood vessels in the macula, making them leaky. This can lead to swelling within the macula which, if severe enough, damages the photoreceptors, making vision blurred. Screening aims to detect maculopathy at a very early stage, before vision is affected, when treatment is most effective.

Following a referral for maculopathy, someone will usually be given an OCT scan. Depending on the results, the person may be returned to screening (if the maculopathy has cleared up by itself), returned to digital surveillance by the screening programme (if the maculopathy is very mild), monitored within the hospital eye service (if the maculopathy is borderline) or offered treatment (if the maculopathy is considered to be significant).

This page gives more detailed information about the condition and treatment, including lifestyle changes which can help reduce the risk of progression:- http://www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/diabetic_maculopathy.html

In my case, maculopathy was picked up on the photographs. I was brought in for a scan, and following the scan, they decided that six monthly visits are appropriate. There's a topic here: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-is-maculopathy.156708/

Viking01 said:

Just had the results of my last screening. Now waiting for appointment with eye specialists as have condition called Diabetic maculopathy. Anyone understand it. Help needed.

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Don't worry. It is an increase in fluid behind retina. My consultant told me I have no control of it. Only thing to do is continue to have good blood sugar control n lose weight if you have any excess.