Diabetic retinopathy

Overview

Diabetic retinopathy (die-uh-BET-ik ret-ih-NOP-uh-thee) is a diabetic problem that affects the eyes. It's caused by attack to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).

At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. Eventually, it can cause blindness.

The condition can develop in any individual who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer a person has diabetes and the less controlled the person's blood sugar is, the more likely he or she is predisposed to getting this eye complication.

Symptoms

A point to note when addressing the symptoms of this complication is that it may not be visible in the early stages. But as the condition progresses, symptoms may include:

Spots or dark strings floating in your vision (floaters)
Blurred vision
Fluctuating vision
Impaired color vision
Dark or empty areas in your vision
Vision loss

Importantly, Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes.

When to see a doctor

Careful management of diabetes is the best way to prevent vision loss. If you have diabetes, see your eye doctor such as Afonja Specialist EyeClinic for a yearly eye exam with dilation — even if your vision seems fine. Also, Pregnancy may worsen diabetic retinopathy. Hence if you're pregnant, your eye doctor may recommend additional eye exams throughout your pregnancy.

Contact Afonja Specialist EyeClinic right away if your vision changes suddenly or becomes blurry, spotty or hazy.

With help from Mayoclinic.

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