Diabetics have an increased risk for a number of health conditions including macular edema. This condition, cystoid macular edema or CME, occurs when tissues of the macula swell due to leaking, abnormal vessels. The macula is an area of the central retina that helps you to read and perform other detailed tasks. Nutrition does not treat or reverse damage from macular edema, but certain nutrients could help prevent the condition.
Treatment
Macular edema may cause serious vision changes, and, as a result, you need prompt, adequate treatment. Your eye doctor’s goal is to reduce the swelling in your macular tissue, and nutrition cannot do this. Options for treatment may include anti-inflammatory medications typically injected in the eye. Eye drops may also help reduce swelling. Your eye doctor may also recommend laser treatment to seal off any leaking vessels in the macula. The type of treatment you require depends on the extent of the edema and how well your eye responds to early treatment.
Nutrient Prevention
Although nutrients cannot treat macular edema, omega-3 may prevent diabetic retinopathy, an eye condition that may lead to macular edema. In retinopathy, abnormal, weak vessels form on the tissue lining the back of your eye, the retina, and these vessels often break, resulting in bleeding that may cause the macula to swell. The National Institutes of Health reported in 2007 that increasing omega-3 intake could reduce damage and loss of normal blood vessels in the retina preventing the growth of abnormal vessels that leak and cause edema. The study did not recommend a certain dosage for prevention, but if your doctor thinks omega-3 could help she will tell you the amount you should take each day.
Nutrient Cause
In a 2007 study at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium, researchers found that nicotinic acid, also known as niacin or vitamin B3, could cause cystoid macular edema, particularly in diabetics who already have risk factors for the condition. Doctors often recommend niacin supplements to people with high cholesterol and other health conditions. Before you begin using niacin, talk to your doctor about the potential for macular edema and other side effects to determine if the risks outweigh the benefits.
Considerations
If you have macular edema you may experience blurry vision. The symptoms may appear quickly or gradually. Inform your doctor immediately if you experience vision changes since prompt treatment may prevent permanent damage. You should not begin using supplements or making significant diet changes without first consulting your physician.
