What are the complications of diabetic retinopathy ?

Many: Vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, blindness, glaucoma.

Diabetic retinopathy: This is due to vascular leakage and abnormal vessel growth in poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. The degree ranges from outpouchings of vessels (microaneurysms) to leaks, to scarring and new vessel growth (neovascularization) which can bleed profusely. In advanced disease the retina can be destroyed, or scarred with lifting off (detachment) and severe vision loss.

Vision loss: Diabetes damages blood vessels. In your feet, it can cause neuropathy, ulcers, and lead to amputation. In your kidneys, it can cause kidney failure and lead to dialysis. In your eyes, it can cause retinal swelling, bleeding, and retinal detachment. These can lead to vision loss and even blindness. The key is to control blood sugars and blood pressure, which can save vision.

Vision Loss: Prevention is the key, because vision loss is common if dr is untreated if signs of retinopathy have reached certain thresholds, laser treatment has been shown to be effective and result in less than half the incidence of severe vision damage.

Early DM retinopathy: The early warning signs of diabetic change in the eye are important to prevent later, more severe changes. These are rapid change in the vision, uncorrectable vision in one eye, sudden clouding of the vision, hundreds of specks in the vision. Don't wait until these occur (get an early eye examination) but if any of these happen get help from your ophthalmologist rapidly.