Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat HappensStagesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionComplicationsWhen to See a ProviderNext in Diabetic Retinopathy GuideDiabetic Retinopathy: Symptoms, Stages, and Complications
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Happens
Stages
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Complications
When to See a Provider
Next in Diabetic Retinopathy Guide
Type 1andtype 2 diabetescan lead to the vision-threatening condition known asdiabetic retinopathy. High blood sugar in poorly controlled diabetes can damage vessels in the light-sensingretinain the back of the eye. This potentially leads to complications that can threaten your vision.
Initially, diabetic retinopathy may cause only mild vision problems. As the retina is damaged, it becomes more serious, potentially leading to vision loss or blindness. The good news is that vision loss from diabetic retinopathy is preventable.
This article covers everything you need to know to keep diabetic retinopathy from causing vision damage. It explains what happens if you have diabetic retinopathy, the stages of the disease, symptoms to watch for, what’s involved with diagnosis and treatment, and more.
Diabetic retinopathy results from damage to blood vessels in the retina.
What Happens If You Have Diabetic Retinopathy
If you have any form of diabetes, you are vulnerable to diabetic retinopathy.High blood sugar levelscan damage blood vessels in the retina. This damage can cause blood vessels to either leak or close up, shutting down blood flow in the area.
Diabetic Retinopathy Stages
The two types of diabetic retinopathy are nonproliferative and proliferative.The nonproliferative form of the disease occurs first. This is an early stage in which new blood vessels have not yet begun to form. In the later proliferative form, these have started to spread across the retina.
Your eye doctor will find you to be inone of four stages, as follows:
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Diabetic Retinopathy Symptoms
Initially, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms. But with time, you may begin to notice some early signs, such as the following:
As the disease progresses,symptoms can includethings such as:
What Causes Diabetic Retinopathy?
This condition can develop from type 1 diabetes, often diagnosed in children and adolescents. Type 2 diabetes is responsible for over 90% of diabetes cases.It usually is diagnosed in midlife but can happen earlier.Gestational diabetesdevelops during pregnancy. It can lead to retinopathy or worsen existing retinopathy.
Fortunately, if you control your sugar levels, you can potentially reduce any eye damage. Some risk factors that can make you particularly vulnerable to vision loss include:
In people between the ages of 20 and 74, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of vision loss.
What to Know About Diabetic Retinopathy
How Is Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosed?
To determine if you have diabetic retinopathy, your ophthalmologist or optometrist will give you athorough diabetes eye exam. This will include taking your history and looking in your eye for signs of the disease. They may also perform targeted testing. Here’s what you can expect.
Dilated Eye Exam
To check the inside of your eye, your ophthalmologist or optometrist will place drops in your eyes that dilate (widen) the dark pupil at the center of your eye. This is quick and doesn’t hurt, but your vision will temporarily blur until your pupil returns to normal.
Fluorescein Angiography
Fluorescein angiographycan help detect changes in your blood vessels. As part of the test, a chemical known as fluorescein, which can light up blood vessels, is injected into your bloodstream.
After injecting the dye, the ophthalmologist uses a special camera to shine blue light into the eye. The retinal blood vessels appear a fluorescent green.Images taken can help identify any problems.
Optical Coherence Tomography
This test can be used to create three-dimensional (3D) imaging of retinal blood vessels to get a detailed view. It can also help determine the thickness of the retina to detect swelling.
Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment
Diabetic retinopathy currently has no cure, but treatment can help slow the progression of the disease. If this is done soon enough, you may be able to preserve vision. Your ophthalmologist may suggest one of the following approaches.
Controlling Your Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure
Maintaining good blood sugar and blood pressure control can help prevent the progression of diabetic retinopathy.Work with your healthcare provider to find the right combination of medications, diet, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications to achieve the best blood sugar levels and blood pressure range.
Laser Treatments
Laser photocoagulationuses a laser to treat the retina. The laser can seal blood vessels, shrinking them and potentially keeping new vessels from developing.This technique can also reduce fluid in themacula(macular edema) at the center of the retina.
Injections
In some cases of diabetic retinopathy, the eye makes too much vascular endothelial growth factor protein, which can cause new blood vessels to form. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections into the eye can block these proteins and keep new abnormal blood vessel formation at bay.
Some anti-VEGF drugs include the following:
Eye Surgery
With diabetic retinopathy, blood in the vitreous (jelly of the eye) can unfortunately cloud your vision. In some cases, a surgical procedure known as avitrectomycan help. This involves removing the jelly in the eye and replacing it with a clear substitute such as fluid, silicone oil, or gas.
Can Diabetic Retinopathy Be Prevented?
Keeping your blood sugar levels in check and other health factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol down can lower your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and keeping your weight down can also help reduce your risk. It’s also important to avoid smoking and to drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all.
People with diabetes should get their eyes screened regularly for diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions associated with diabetes every one to two years.Peopleat risk of developing diabetesshould get regular health screenings to detect and treat the condition early.
Diabetic Retinopathy Complications
In some cases, diabetic retinopathy can result in other eye problems. Here are some complications that may arise.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
For those who already have this condition, it’s vital that you promptly report any changes in your vision to your ophthalmologist immediately. While treatment may be able to prevent damage to the retina before this occurs, once it happens, it cannot be undone, and any related vision loss is permanent.
Summary
If you have any form of diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. With this condition, sugar in the blood damages retinal vessels, which can leak and threaten vision. You will likely be monitored closely for any signs that you are developing diabetic retinopathy.
While there is no cure for this condition, treatments can help to slow the progression and help to preserve vision.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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