Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication that affects your eyes. It’s caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye called the retina.
At first, diabetic retinopathy might cause no apparent symptoms, but left untreated, it can lead to blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop it.
What are the Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?
Whilst early stages of diabetic retinopathy might cause no apparent symptoms, as the condition progresses you might develop:
• Spots or dark strings floating in your vision
• Blurred vision
• Fluctuating vision
• Dark or empty areas in your vision
• Vision loss
What Causes Diabetic Retinopathy?
Over time, too much sugar in your blood can lead to the blockage of the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina, cutting off its blood supply. As a result, the eye attempts to grow new blood vessels. These new blood vessels don’t develop properly and can leak easily.
There Are Two Types Of Diabetic Retinopathy:
Early Diabetic Retinopathy:
In this more common form, called nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), new blood vessels aren’t growing (proliferating).
When you have NPDR, the walls of the blood vessels in your retina weaken. Tiny bulges protrude from the walls of the smaller vessels, sometimes leaking fluid and blood into the retina. Larger retinal vessels can also begin to dilate and become irregular in diameter.
Sometimes retinal blood vessel damage can lead to a buildup of fluid (edema) in the centre (macula) of the retina. If macula edema decreases vision, treatment is required to prevent permanent vision loss.
Advanced Diabetic Retinopathy:
Diabetic retinopathy can progress to this more severe type known as proliferative diabetic retinopathy. With this type, damaged blood vessels close off causing the growth of new, abnormal blood vessels in the retina. These new blood vessels are fragile and can leak into the clear, jellylike substance that fills the centre of your eye (vitreous).
Eventually, if left untreated, scar tissue from the growth of new blood vessels can cause the retina to detach from the back of your eye. If the new blood vessels interfere with the normal flow of fluid out of the eye, pressure can build in the eyeball. This build-up can then damage the nerve that carries images from your eye to your brain (optic nerve) resulting in glaucoma.
What are the Risk Factors of Diabetic Retinopathy
Anyone who has diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy. The risk of developing the eye condition can increase as a result of:
• Having diabetes for a long time
• Poor control of your blood sugar
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Pregnancy
• Smoking
• Being Black, Hispanic, or Native American
How to Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy
If you have diabetes, reduce your risk of getting diabetic retinopathy by doing the following:
• Manage your diabetes and monitor your blood sugar levels
• Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control
• Quit, or never start, smoking
• Pay attention to any changes in your vision
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If you have a concern about your eyes, book in with your local D. I. Blow Opticians today for a comprehensive eye exam and let’s put your mind at ease.
