Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that affects the eyes. There are several signs of this condition that people who have diabetes should be mindful of to prevent vision loss.
What is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy can affect people who have both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. High blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels of the retina. There are two stages of diabetic retinopathy. Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy is the early stage of diabetic eye disease. The American Academy of Ophthalmology explains that the blood vessels can swell, leak or close.
The advanced stage is proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Abnormal blood vessels may start to grow on the retina. They form scar tissue, which can lead to vision loss and blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication caused by damage to blood vessels to the eyes. During the early stages, there may be no symptoms of the condition other than mild vision problems. It can lead to blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy affects both those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. People who have had diabetes longer and those who have uncontrolled blood sugar are more likely to develop this particular complication of the disease.
Most people experience few, if any, symptoms during the early stages of the disease. The first signs of problems often include one or more of the following:
- Blurred vision.
- Spots or floaters in your vision.
- Dark or empty spots in your vision.
- Vision loss.
Controlling your sugar is the most important thing you can do to avoid a potential loss of vision. You also need to make sure you see your eye doctor yearly for an eye exam with dilation. Don’t wait until you are experiencing vision problems to see your eye doctor. Catching the disease in early stages can significantly slow its progression.
If you experience sudden vision changes such as blurry vision, spotty vision, or hazy vision, you should consult your eye doctor immediately to schedule an exam. Also, people who are pregnant with diabetes or develop gestational diabetes may need more frequent eye exams to monitor for signs of retinopathy.
