Overview
Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the blood vessels in the retina caused by high blood sugar. In the early stages it has no symptoms — but it is also the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. Tight blood-sugar control and annual dilated eye exams are the two most important things any diabetic patient can do to protect their vision.
Symptoms
- •No symptoms in early stages — this is why screening is critical
- •Floaters or dark strings drifting through your vision
- •Blurred vision that fluctuates with blood sugar
- •Dark or empty areas in your visual field
- •Vision loss (in advanced disease)
Causes & Risk Factors
- •Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- •Long duration of diabetes (10+ years significantly increases risk)
- •Poorly controlled blood sugar
- •High blood pressure
- •High cholesterol
- •Smoking
- •Pregnancy in patients with pre-existing diabetes
How It's Diagnosed
Annual dilated eye exam with retinal imaging. We document the retina year-over-year so even subtle early changes are detected. The exam is recommended for ALL diabetic patients regardless of whether vision seems fine.
Treatment Options
- 1Tight blood-sugar, blood-pressure, and cholesterol control (most important)
- 2Annual dilated exams to monitor progression
- 3Anti-VEGF injections (for diabetic macular edema and proliferative disease)
- 4Laser treatment to seal leaking blood vessels
- 5Vitrectomy surgery in advanced cases
When to See an Eye Doctor
EVERY patient with diabetes — type 1, type 2, or gestational — needs an annual dilated eye exam. Sudden floaters, vision loss, or a curtain over part of your vision is an emergency and requires same-day evaluation.
Related Service
Diabetic Retinopathy is detected and monitored through our Diabetic Eye Exams service.
Learn About Diabetic Eye Exam