What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

If you have diabetes, you probably know that your body can’t use or store sugar properly. When your blood sugar gets

too high, it can damage the blood vessels in your eyes. This damage may lead to diabetic retinopathy. (Your retina is the nerve layer that lines the inside of your eye and converts light into nerve signals that your brain can interpret.)
When blood vessels in the retina are damaged, they can leak fluid or bleed. This causes the retina to swell and form deposits. This is an early form of diabetic retinopathy called nonproliferative or background retinopathy. You may not notice any change in your vision when you develop this early form of the disease, but it can lead to other more serious forms of retinopathy that affect your vision.
When fluid collects in the macula (the part of the retina that allows us to see fine details), reading and other close work may become difficult. This is called macular edema.
In proliferative retinopathy, new, fragile blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina.
These new blood vessels are called can lead to serious vision problems, because they can break and bleed into the vitreous, the clear, jelly-like substance that fills the center of the eye.
The new blood vessels can also cause scar tissue to develop, which can pull the retina away from the back of the eye. This is known as retinal detachment, and can lead to blindness if untreated. In addition, abnormal blood vessels can grow on the iris (the colored part in the front of your eye), which can lead to glaucoma.

How to Prevent Diabetic Eye Problems
An eye condition known as diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common complications associated with diabetes, and is the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans.
Fortunately, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing preventable vision loss, and other complications of diabetes, by using common sense and taking good care of yourself.
Ø Keep your blood sugar under good control.
Ø Monitor your blood pressure and keep it under good control, or seek appropriate care.
Ø Maintain a healthy diet.
Ø Exercise regularly.
Ø See your eye doctor for a dilated eye exam at least once a year.
Ø If you notice blurring of your vision, have difficulty doing close work such as reading, or if your vision becomes spotty or hazy, see your eye doctor right away.
Even if you develop diabetic retinopathy, your eye doctor can probably prevent vision loss-if you see him or her early enough.