Diabetic Retinopathy
A condition caused by diabetes-related damage to the blood vessels of the retina -- often silent in its early stages, and a leading cause of preventable blindness.
Book a Diabetic Retina ScreeningWere you told to get screened?
If you have diabetes, your retina can be affected even with well-controlled blood sugar, and often with no symptoms at all. This is exactly why annual screening is recommended regardless of how your vision feels right now.
Already noticing vision changes?
Blurred vision, floaters, or patchy dark areas can mean the condition has progressed further. The good news is that some causes -- like diabetic macular edema -- can improve significantly with prompt treatment.
What Is It?
Diabetic retinopathy develops when prolonged high blood sugar damages the small blood vessels that nourish the retina. These vessels can leak, swell, or grow abnormally, gradually affecting the structures responsible for clear vision.
It is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide — not because it’s untreatable, but because it often develops silently and is detected late. The single most effective protection is annual dilated screening, starting from the time of a diabetes diagnosis, regardless of how well blood sugar is controlled or how vision currently feels.
Risk Factors
- Diabetes of any duration, type 1 or type 2
- Poorly controlled blood sugar over time
- High blood pressure
- Pregnancy in women with pre-existing diabetes
- Longer duration of living with diabetes
Symptoms
- Often no symptoms at all in early stages
- Blurred or fluctuating vision
- Floaters or dark spots
- Patchy or missing areas of vision
- Difficulty seeing at night
Treatment
- Regular Monitoring: For mild, early-stage changes, with scheduled re-examination to track progression.
- Anti-VEGF Injections: The primary treatment for diabetic macular edema -- reduces fluid leakage and can meaningfully improve vision.
- Laser Photocoagulation: Used to stabilize more advanced or proliferative stages and reduce the risk of severe vision loss.
- Diabetes Coordination: Blood sugar and blood pressure control alongside your physician remains foundational to slowing progression.
When to seek urgent evaluation
Some changes signal that the condition has advanced and need prompt attention rather than a routine follow-up.
- Sudden onset of many new floaters
- A sudden curtain-like shadow across your vision
- Rapid decline in vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden flashes of light
Related Conditions
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I get a retina screening if I have diabetes?
Can diabetic retinopathy be reversed?
Will controlling my blood sugar alone protect my eyes from diabetic retinopathy?
Book a Diabetic Retina Screening
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