What is diabetic retinopathy?

Bad: Diabetic retinopathy is caused by blood vessel damage due to high sugar levels. It can cause leakage of fluid from vessels causing swelling. It can also cause the vessels to die leading to the retina not getting enough blood. Both of these can permanently impair vision. The best way to avoid this is control of sugars. Many treatments exist for diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetes and eye: Diabetes causes damage to the small blood vessels in the eye, resulting in small areas of bleeding and fluid leakage. This is commonly referred to as diabetic retinopathy, since the bleeding occurs in the retina of the eye. Uncontrolled bleeding and fluid may lead to macular edema, or neovascularization. Regular eye exams are vital if you have diabetes.

Control Risk Factors: Tight control of glucose can help prevent or delay the onset of retinopathy. Control of blood pressure and cholesterol are also important factors. It is important for all diabetics to get annual dilated eye exams from an ophthalmologist to determine whether retinopathy is present.