How to Stay Connected With DME

It can be difficult to recognize DME symptoms, because they can come on gradually. You may think you need new glasses, or it might not seem like a big deal — at first. “Patients become symptomatic, because they notice their central vision becomes blurry,” says Diana Do, MD, a professor of ophthalmology and the vice chair of clinical affairs at Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. This affects a person’s ability to read, see clearly to drive, and do daily activities in general. “Often, when a patient has diabetic macular edema, their symptoms cannot be corrected with prescription eyeglasses, because the damage is occurring in the retina,” she adds.

“DME affects quality of life in so many different ways, both in the house and outside,” says Michael Abramoff, MD, a retina specialist and professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. “It can lead to loss of perception, loss of color, and loss of enjoyment of what you previously were able to do.”

These central-vision challenges can transform different areas of life, including:

• Work With DME, anything from reading to recognizing faces can become more difficult while you’re on the job. “A patient who is symptomatic may have difficulty seeing the computer screen or reading documents, and this can certainly affect their work performance,” says Dr. Do.
• Hobbies and Exercise You need to be able to see well to move around and stay active. “A patient with decreased vision due to diabetic macular edema might not be able to see clearly in order to safely ride a bicycle, play tennis, or do other hobbies,” says Do.
• Social Life and Relationships Living with DME can affect your emotional well-being, mental health, routines, and social relationships. One study found that people who felt vision problems were interfering with daily life and had higher anxiety were more likely to be depressed, no matter how severe the eye condition actually was.

  [2]

   This can lead to increased isolation, as well as more strained relationships, especially when you’re not able to get around as easily as before. “Patients with vision loss can lose their independence, because they can’t see well enough to navigate in the world, and that can lead to less interactions with their friends and families,” says Do.

• Finances Being unable to perform your job like you used to can also affect your income, especially if you lose your job or work fewer hours. That’s one of many reasons DME treatment is so important. One study found that treating DME provided economic value both for people with the condition and for their community, because it improved all sorts of outcomes, including employment.

  [3]

On top of all of these issues, people with DME often need to manage other diabetes-related complications, too. “Diabetic macular edema doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s likely that diabetes is also affecting other parts of a person’s systemic health,” says Do. For example, many of Do’s patients who have DME also have kidney problems. All together, these issues can make it more difficult to stay connected to the outside world.