Diabetic Retinopathy Details

Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication that affects the eyes. It is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. But eventually, it can cause blindness. The condition can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop this eye complication. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults. Regular eye exams and good management of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol can prevent or delay vision loss.

• Spots or dark strings floating in your vision (floaters)
• Blurred vision
• Fluctuating vision
• Impaired color vision
• Dark or empty areas in your vision
• Vision loss
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Partial or total blindness in severe cases

• Prolonged high blood sugar levels damaging retinal blood vessels
• High blood pressure compounding blood vessel damage
• High cholesterol levels
• Duration of diabetes — risk increases the longer you have diabetes
• Poor blood sugar control
• Pregnancy in women with diabetes
• Tobacco use
• Genetic predisposition

• Anti-VEGF injections into the eye (e.g., ranibizumab, aflibercept, bevacizumab)
• Focal laser treatment (photocoagulation) to stop or slow leakage of blood and fluid
• Scatter laser treatment (panretinal photocoagulation) to shrink abnormal blood vessels
• Vitrectomy surgery to remove blood and scar tissue from the vitreous gel
• Corticosteroid injections or implants
• Tight control of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels
• Regular comprehensive dilated eye exams
• Low vision aids and rehabilitation services