• Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina caused by complications of diabetes mellitus, which can eventually lead to blindness.
• Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina.
• If you have diabetic retinopathy, at first you may not notice changes to your vision. Unfortunately over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and lead to blindness.
• Blood vessels are damaged from diabetic retinopathy and can cause vision loss in two ways:
  • Abnormal blood vessels can develop and leak blood into the eye, blurring vision. This is proliferative retinopathy and is the fourth and most advanced stage of the disease.
  • Fluid can leak into the center of the macula, the part of the eye responsible for clear, sharp, straight-ahead vision. The fluid makes the macula swell causing blurred vision. This condition is called macular edema. It can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy, although it is more likely to occur as the disease progresses.
  • These two conditions can occur simultaneously.
• Your eye doctor can tell if you have macular edema or any stage of diabetic retinopathy. Whether or not you have symptoms, early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss

If you have diabetes you should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year.

Visit us for your yearly screening test and if you have any questions we will answer them.