About:

Diabetic Retinopathy is an eye condition caused by diabetes. In diabetes, high sugar levels can damage the retina by slowly weakening blood vessels in the eye. At first, this causes no symptoms. However, without treatment, it can cause blindness. Diabetic Retinopathy can take years to cause blindness. In the early stages, it is treatable. If you are a diabetic, visit your eye doctor every year. Early detection is very important and can save your eyesight!

Diabetic Retinopathy & Vision Loss:

There are two main causes of vision loss in Diabetic Retinopathy:

• Diabetic Macular Edema:
  When the retina’s blood vessels are too weak, fluid can leak through their walls. This fluid builds up in the retina, causing swelling. In turn, this swelling may cause some vision loss.
• Diabetic Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy:
  New abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina. These vessels are weak, so they can rupture and bleed into the surrounding fluid. This causes sudden vision loss.

Risk Factors:

Anyone with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes is at risk for Diabetic Retinopathy.

Your risk is greater if you:

• Have high blood sugar, blood pressure, or cholesterol
• Are pregnant

In some cases, people with good blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol may still develop Diabetic Retinopathy. To be safe, all diabetics should regularly see an eye doctor for screening.

Key Points to Remember:

• Diabetics are twice as likely as non-diabetics to develop eye problems.
• If you are diabetic, visit your doctor and get screened every year.
• Early detection and proper treatment significantly reduces your risk of vision loss.