Diabetic Retinopathy Of Eye

Diabetic retinopathy is blood vessel damage in the retina that happens as a result of diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy can cause a range of symptoms, including blurred vision, difficulty seeing colors, and eye floaters. Without treatment, it can cause vision loss.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults, as well as the most common cause of vision loss for people with diabetes.

People may not have any early symptoms of diabetic retinopathy, but having a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year can help a person catch the condition early to prevent complications.

Controlling diabetes and managing early symptoms are the most effective ways to prevent diabetic retinopathy.

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that occurs due to diabetes.

It can arise as a result of the high blood sugar levels that diabetes causes. Over time, having too much sugar in the blood can damage blood vessels throughout the body, including in the retina.

The retina is the membrane covering the back of the eye. It detects light and sends signals to the brain through the optic nerve.

If sugar blocks the tiny blood vessels that go into the retina, it can cause them to leak or bleed. The eye may then grow new blood vessels that are weaker and leak or bleed more easily.

If the eye starts to grow new blood vessels, this is known as proliferative diabetic retinopathy, which experts consider a more advanced stage. The early stage is known as nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

More than 2 in 5 people with diabetes in the United States have some stage of diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetes also increases a person’s risk of developing other eye problems, including cataracts and open-angle glaucoma.

Symptoms

Diabetic retinopathy does not usually produce symptoms during the early stages. Symptoms typically become noticeable when the condition is more advanced.

Diabetic retinopathy tends to affect both eyes. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include:

• blurred vision
• impaired color vision
• eye floaters, or transparent spots and dark strings that float in the person’s field of vision and move in the direction that the person looks
• patches or streaks that block the person’s vision
• poor night vision

Complications

Without treatment, diabetic retinopathy can lead to various complications.

When blood vessels bleed into the main jelly that fills the eye, known as the vitreous, this is called vitreous hemorrhage. In mild cases, the symptoms include floaters, but more severe cases can involve vision loss, as the blood in the vitreous blocks light from entering the eye.

If the retina remains undamaged, bleeding in the vitreous can resolve itself.

It usually causes the appearance of floating spots in the individual’s field of vision, flashes of light, and severe vision loss. A detached retina presents a significant risk of total vision loss if a person does not get treatment.

Risk Factors

Anybody with diabetes is at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. However, the risk is higher if the person:

• has uncontrolled blood sugar levels
• has high blood pressure
• has high cholesterol

Media Contact:
Sarah Rose
Journal Manager Journal of Eye Diseases and Disorders
Email: eyedisorders@emedsci.com
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