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Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that can affect the retina of people who have diabetes.

The retina is the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye, and it detects light that is then processed as an image by the brain. Chronically high blood sugar or large fluctuations in blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the retina. This can result in bleeding in the retina or leakage of fluid.

Diabetic retinopathy can be divided into non-proliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy:  In the early stage of the disease, there is weakening of the blood vessels in the retina that causes out-pouching called microaneurysms. These microaneurysms can leak fluid into the retina. There can also be yellow deposits called hard exudates present in the retina from leaky vessels.

Diabetic macula edema is when the fluid leaks into the region of the retina called the macula. The macula is important for sharp, central vision needed for reading and driving. The accumulation of fluid in the macula causes blurry vision.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy: As diabetic retinopathy progresses, new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. These blood vessels are fragile, which makes them likely to bleed into the vitreous, which is the clear gel that fills the middle of the eye. Bleeding inside the eye is seen as floaters or spots. Over time, scar tissue can then form on the surface of the retina and contract, leading to a retinal detachment. This is similar to wallpaper contracting and peeling away from the wall. If left untreated, retinal detachment can lead to loss of vision.

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy:

• Asymptomatic: In the early stages of mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, the person will usually have no visual complaints. Therefore, it is important for people with diabetes to have a comprehensive dilated exam by their eye doctor once a year.
• Floaters: This is usually from bleeding into the vitreous cavity from proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
• Blurred vision: This can be the result of fluid leaking into the retina, causing diabetic macular edema.

Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy:

• Blood sugar. Lower blood sugar will delay the onset and slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy. Chronically high blood sugar and the longer the duration of diabetes, the more likely chance of that person having diabetic retinopathy.
• Medical conditions. People with high blood pressure and high cholesterol are at greater risk for developing diabetic retinopathy.
• Ethnicity. Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans are at greater risk for developing diabetic retinopathy.
• Pregnancy. Women with diabetes could have an increased risk of developing diabetic retinopathy during pregnancy. If they already have diabetic retinopathy, it might worsen during pregnancy.

Punctal plugs are something we use to help treat Dry Eye Syndrome.  

This syndrome is a multifactorial problem that comes from a generalized decrease in the amount and quality of the tears you make.  There is often both a lack of tear volume and inflammation in the tear glands, which interfere with tear production and also cause the quality of the tears to not be as good.

We make tears through two different mechanisms.  One is called a basal secretion of tears, meaning a constant low flow or production of tears to keep the eye moist and comfortable.  There is a second mechanism called reflexive tear production, which is a sudden flood of tears caused by the excitation of nerves on the eye surface when they detect inflammatory conditions or foreign body sensations. It is a useful reflexive nerve loop that helps wash out any foreign body or toxic substance you might get in the eye by flooding the eye with tears.  Consider what happens when you get suntan lotion in your eye.  The nerves detect the irritation that the lotion creates, and your eyes quickly flood with tears.

That reflex mechanism is how some people get tearing even though the underlying cause of that tearing is dry eye.  They don’t produce enough of the basal tears, the eye surface gets irritated and then the reflex tearing kicks in and floods their eyes, tearing them up.  Once that reflex is gone then the eye dries out again and the whole cycle starts over.

One of the treatments for dry eyes is to put a small plug into the tear drainage duct so that whatever tears you are making stay on the eye surface longer instead of draining away from the eye into to the tear drainage duct and emptying into your nose.

There are several different types of punctal plugs.  Some are made of a material that is designed to dissolve over time.  Some materials dissolve over two weeks, while others can last as long as 6 months.  There are also plugs made out of a soft silicone material that are designed to stay in forever.  They can, however, be removed fairly easily if desired or they can fall out on their own, especially if you have a habit of rubbing near the inside corner of your eye.

One of the big advantages of punctal plugs is that they can improve symptoms fairly rapidly - sometimes as quickly as a day.

The long-term medical treatment for dry eyes such as Restasis, Xiidra or the vitamin supplement HydroEye can take weeks or months to have a good effect.

On the other hand, plugs simply make you retain your tears for a longer time; they don’t help the underlying inflammation.  That is where the medical treatment comes in.  Sometimes it is useful to use a temporary plug for more instant relief while you are waiting for the medical treatment to work.  Sometimes there is clearly just a deficiency of tears and not much inflammation and the plugs alone will improve your symptoms.

All in all, punctal plugs are a safe, effective, and relatively easily-inserted treatment for dry eyes.