Learning all you can about your disease can help you and your eye doctor make informed decisions. We’re here to help. Please see below for important terms related to DME and how to treat it.
- anti-VEGF intravitreal injection – Anti-VEGF drugs are used to treat DME by reducing abnormal and damaging blood vessel growth and leakage in the retina. The drug is administered by an injection into the eye and requires up to 1 injection per month.
- cataract – Refers to the lens of the eye when it becomes cloudy, resulting in blurry vision. Diabetes may be a cause for cataracts. The use of corticosteroids may also accelerate the formation of cataracts.
- corticosteroids – Ophthalmic corticosteroids are eye drops, gels, ointments or injections. They treat inflammation and relieve symptoms such as swelling, pain, redness or irritation of the eye. Fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) is the corticosteroid used in ILUVIEN.
- diabetic macular edema (DME) – A condition of the eye brought on by swelling in the macula—the part of the eye responsible for central vision. Diabetes damages blood vessels including those inside the eye, which can cause them to become leaky. When diabetes affects the eye, it also causes edema and inflammation to develop inside the eye. Symptoms of DME include blurry vision and loss of vision.
- diabetic retinopathy – Refers to the spectrum of changes that occur inside the eye associated with diabetes. Part of this spectrum includes DME or swelling of the retina that involves the macula.
- fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) – The active compound in ILUVIEN® (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant) 0.19 mg and a member of a class of steroids known as corticosteroids.
- glaucoma – An eye disorder that affects the nerve layer of the eye resulting in damage to the vision system leading to vision loss.
- intraocular pressure (IOP) – The pressure inside the eye. Elevation of pressure inside the eye is a risk factor for the development of glaucoma.
- intravitreal implant – A specially constructed microdevice that is injected into the vitreous of the eye.
- macula – The part of the retina responsible for central vision (what you see in front of you, like when you read or drive).
- macular edema – Swelling or thickening of the macula caused by fluid leaking from the retina’s blood vessels. It is the most common cause for vision loss in diabetes.
- ophthalmology – A branch of medical science dealing with the structure, functions, and diseases of the eye.
- retina – A thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye on the inside. It is located near the optic nerve. The purpose of the retina is to receive light that the lens has focused, convert the light into neural signals, and send these signals on to the brain for visual recognition.
- tonometry – A test that measures the pressure inside the eye. It is used to measure intraocular pressure.
- visual acuity (VA) – A measure of your ability to see primarily with the part of your eye called the macula. This is the part of your eye that you use to read. Perfect visual acuity is 20/20. Legal blindness is defined as worse than or equal to 20/200.
- vitreous – A clear gel-like substance in the back of the eye.