Diabetic retinopathy damages the blood vessels in your retina, causing bleeding, swelling, and abnormal blood vessel growth. The longer you've had diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar, the higher your risk.
Warning Signs to Watch For:
At Good Life Eyecare, we've helped countless diabetic patients protect their vision through early detection and comprehensive care. Our experienced team specializes in diabetic eye care and uses advanced diagnostic technology to catch problems before they steal your sight.
Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes that affects your eyes. It is the number one cause of vision loss in diabetic patients.
Diabetic retinopathy is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). This causes bleeding, swelling, and abnormal blood vessel growth. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop this eye condition.
Management of your diabetes under the care of a medical professional — with a treatment plan that includes regular visits to the eye doctor — is the best way to prevent loss of vision.
The centers of your eyes are filled with a jelly-like substance that’s clear. Blood vessels formed by diabetic retinopathy could leak into this vitreous jelly and cause floaters or even block your vision completely.
The presence of abnormal blood vessels encourages the growth of scar tissue in the retina. This could pull the retina away from its position at the back of your eye. Common symptoms of a retinal detachment include flashes of light, severe loss of vision and/or spots floating in your vision.
If the abnormal blood vessels that mark the presence of diabetic retinopathy grow into your eye’s front area, they could block the normal flow of fluid from your eye. The result could be glaucoma which is an increase in the eye’s pressure. You might experience damage to the optic nerve if it’s left untreated.
Over time, diabetic retinopathy, or its complications, could cause you to completely lose your ability to see.
