5 Tips for Dealing with Diabetic Macular Edema
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that impacts millions of Americans across the United States. The American Diabetes Association recently stated 11.3% of the population is living with diabetes, and 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with it each year. So it’s important we continue to learn more about the disease and conditions associated with it.
If you are one of the 11.3% living with diabetes, you may be at risk of developing a diabetes-specific eye disease called diabetic retinopathy (DR), the condition that can lead to diabetic macular edema (DME). DME can affect your vision and impact your ability to participate in activities that are important to you.
Fortunately, there are tactics for managing DME, as well as treatment options.
Whether you are recently diagnosed with DME, suspect you may have it, or have received treatment for the condition, check out these 5 tips that may help you on your journey.
1. Talk to your Eye Doctor
If you are living with diabetes and are experiencing vision loss or changes like blurry, wavy, or double vision, you may have DME. If you are experiencing these signs, early diagnosis is helpful. See your eye doctor right away so they can monitor changes and discuss treatment options with you. If your eye doctor suspects or diagnoses you with DME, they will likely refer you to a retina specialist. This is an eye doctor that specializes in diagnosing and treating eye disease of the retina in the back of the eye.
In most patients, DME can be successfully treated, provided that you carefully follow the instructions of your retina specialist. There are also questions that may be helpful to ask your eye doctor. You can download a guide to take with you on your visit, or find a doctor if you don’t already have one.
2. Find a Support Group
It’s helpful to talk with other individuals that are dealing with the same day-to-day challenges as you. They can often give you additional tips and questions to ask your eye doctor as you determine the treatment that’s best for you.
There are both DME and diabetes support groups online. Some hospitals also offer support groups, so you may want to check in your local area.
3. Device Settings
Many of us don’t like to admit how much time we spend on our devices, but it does take a toll on our eyes. If you are experiencing vision loss of any kind, there are many simple settings that may help. If you have an iPad and/or iPhone, there is a simple 3-step process to change the font size through your preferences. If you use a Kindle to read, there are 2 easy ways to update the text size so you don’t strain your eyes. You may also want to consider audio books to give your eyes a break!
In addition to font sizes, you can also increase the display brightness and contrast or adjust other accessibility features to find options such as lighter or darker appearance.
4. Deal with the Details
You may consider labeling items throughout your house to make day-to-day activities a little easier. For example, consider labeling items in frequently used rooms like your garage, laundry room, or kitchen with white tape and a black marker with large print. It may make things easier to spot and grab quickly.
It may also help to adjust clutter and space around your home. You can move your furniture so that you have more room to maneuver and hopefully bump into items less.
5. Research Other Resources
Aside from consulting with your eye doctor, there are a lot of fantastic third-party resources to explore. The American Diabetes Association has great eye health resources that may be helpful to reference if you are living with diabetes. For other helpful information about diabetes visit American Association of Diabetes Education, Prevent Blindness, and Take Control of Your Diabetes.
We hope these tips are helpful on your DME journey, but make sure to bring any concerns or questions to your eye doctor. For more resources, please visit old.iluvien.com.
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What is Diabetic Macular Edema?