Often early symptoms are unnoticed, therefore your vision may not be affected until the disease is severe and less easily treatable. In advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy, laser treatment has been shown to reduce the chance of severe vision loss and blindness.

Laser does not cure diabetic retinopathy or restore vision that has already been lost, nor does it prevent future vision loss, especially if diabetes or blood pressure is not well controlled. If you have diabetes, you may get cataracts at a younger age and your chances of developing glaucoma are doubled.

Please ask a member of staff or your Consultant should you need any additional information before laser. Prepared by Mr. Zambarakji FRCOphth, D. M Consultant Ophthalmic surgeon. Guide to Central Retinal Vein Occlusion and Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion. Guide to Diabetic Retinopathy. Guide to Laser Treatment for Diabetic Eye Disease.

Guide to Macular holes. Guide to Epiretinal Membranes. Guide to Flashes and Floaters. Guide to Aquired Retinoshisis. Guide to Myopic Macular Disease. Guide to Vitrectomy for Floaters.

Guide to 23 gauge vitrectomy surgery. Guide to Retinal Detachment. Macular Degeneration. If you cannot have anti-VEGF injections or they have not worked for you, you may be offered an eye implant called an intravitreal implant brand name Ozurdex containing a steroid medicine called dexamethasone.

This is a tiny implant that's injected into your eye using a special applicator. You'll be given a local anaesthetic first to numb your eye. The implant slowly releases dexamethasone over a few months.

This reduces swelling in your eye, and can help to improve your eyesight. Side effects usually get better after a few days. Speak to your treatment team if you have eye pain or changes to your eyesight. Surgery may be carried out to remove some of the vitreous humour from the eye.

This is the transparent, jelly-like substance that fills the space behind the lens of the eye. During the procedure, the surgeon will make a small incision in your eye before removing some of the vitreous humour, removing any scar tissue and using a laser to prevent a further deterioration in your vision.

Vitreoretinal surgery is usually carried out under local anaesthetic and sedation. This means you will not experience any pain or have any awareness of the surgery being performed. You should be able to go home on the same day or the day after your surgery. For the first few days, you may need to wear a patch over your eye.

This is because activities such as reading and watching television can quickly tire your eye to begin with. You will probably have blurred vision after the operation. This should improve gradually, although it may take several months for your vision to fully return to normal.

Your surgeon will advise you about any activities you should avoid during your recovery. There's also a small chance that you will need further retinal surgery afterwards. Your surgeon will explain the risks to you. Page last reviewed: 16 December Next review due: 16 December Home Health A to Z Diabetic retinopathy Back to Diabetic retinopathy.

Treatment - Diabetic retinopathy Contents Overview Stages Treatment Prevention. At all stages, managing your diabetes is crucial. Managing your diabetes The most important part of your treatment is to keep your diabetes under control.

Treatments for advanced diabetic retinopathy For diabetic retinopathy that is threatening or affecting your sight, the main treatments are: laser treatment — to treat the growth of new blood vessels at the back of the eye retina in cases of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and to stabilise some cases of maculopathy eye injections — to treat severe maculopathy that's threatening your sight steroid eye implants — to treat severe maculopathy if eye injections are not suitable or have not worked for you eye surgery — to remove blood or scar tissue from the eye if laser treatment is not possible because retinopathy is too advanced Laser treatment Laser treatment is used to treat new blood vessels at the back of the eyes in the advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy.

Laser treatment: involves shining a laser into your eyes — you'll be given local anaesthetic drops to numb your eyes; eye drops are used to widen your pupils and special contact lenses are used to hold your eyelids open and focus the laser onto your retina normally takes around 20 to 40 minutes is usually carried out on an outpatient basis, which means you will not need to stay in hospital overnight may require more than 1 visit to a laser treatment clinic is not usually painful, although you may feel a sharp pricking sensation when certain areas of your eye are being treated Side effects After treatment, you may have some side effects for a few hours.

These can include: blurred vision — you will not be able to drive until this passes, so you'll need to arrange for a friend or relative to drive you home, or take public transport increased sensitivity to light — it might help to wear sunglasses until your eyes have adjusted aching or discomfort — over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol, should help Possible complications You should be told about the risks of treatment in advance.

Potential complications include: reduced night or peripheral side vision — some people may have to stop driving as a result of this bleeding into the eye or objects floating in your vision floaters being able to "see" the pattern made by the laser on the back of your eye for a few months a small, but permanent, blind spot close to the centre of your vision Get medical advice if you notice that your sight gets worse after treatment.

Eye injections In some cases of diabetic maculopathy, injections of a medicine called anti-VEGF may be given directly into your eyes to prevent new blood vessels forming at the back of the eyes.

With this procedure, some side vision may be lost in order to safeguard central vision. Some bleeding into the vitreous gel may clear up on its own. However, if significant amounts of blood leak into the vitreous fluid in the eye, it will cloud vision and can prevent laser photocoagulation from being used.

A surgical procedure called a vitrectomy may be used to remove the blood-filled vitreous and replace it with a clear fluid to maintain the normal shape and health of the eye.

Persons with diabetic retinopathy can suffer significant vision loss. Special low vision devices such as telescopic and microscopic lenses, hand and stand magnifiers, and video magnification systems can be prescribed to make the most of remaining vision.

The primary cause of legal blindness in the working population of the United States today is diabetes mellitus. Insulin-dependent diabetes typically occurs in people younger than 30, and requires regular insulin injections to live.

Non-insulin dependent diabetes is most often observed in severely overweight adults and usually does not require insulin treatment. The earliest signs if diabetic retinopathy are observed when structural changes take place in the capillaries, thereby impending the flow of nutrients to the retina.

The lack of nutrients and oxygen to the tissue result in damage to the retina. Diabetes can also alter the clear tissue covering the front of the eye.

Decreased corneal sensation has been noted and swelling of the corneal tissue can reduce vision, sometimes dramatically in people with this disease. Overall, the risk of cataract is two to four times greater in diabetics as compared to those without the disease.

In those with insulin-dependent Type I diabetes, the risk may be 15 to 25 times greater. Results of cataract surgery are quite good for patients who have no retinopathy; however, there seems to be a slightly higher risk of macular edema swelling of the retinal tissue after surgery in diabetics versus non-diabetics.

Temporary muscle paralysis of isolated muscles around the eye may occur is diabetes, and is frequently the initial clue to a latent diabetic condition. The first key in protecting your vision from the potential ravages of diabetes, is in close monitoring of your blood sugar.

Diet and exercise are also essential components in maintaining tight control of your blood sugar. Your endocrinologist or internist should be able to help you design a regiment that works best for you. The second element in safeguarding your vision is to get annual dilated eye exams with your eye doctor.

As mentioned previously, early diabetic changes may not cause you any visual symptoms initially, but they still need to be closely monitored. Your optometrist is skilled in detecting any early diabetic changes in the eye, monitoring these changes, and referring you to a retinal specialist when necessary.

Retinal Detachment is a separation of the retina the inner nervous tunic of the eye from the choroid the middle, vascular tunic of the eye in the back of the eye, usually resulting from a hole in the retina that allows the vitreous humor fluid to leak between the choroid and the retina.

The retina is a thin, transparent tissue of light-sensitive nerve fibers and cells. It covers the inside wall of the eye the same as wallpaper covers the walls of a room.

Most retinal detachments are caused by the presence of one or more small tears or holes in the retina. Normal aging can sometimes cause the retina to be thin and deteriorate, but more often shrinkage of the vitreous body, the clear gel-like substance which fills the center of the eye, is responsible for deterioration and retinal tears.

The vitreous is firmly attached to the retina in several places around the back wall of the eye. As the vitreous shrinks, it may pull a piece of the retina away with it, leaving a tear or hole in the retina. Though some shrinkage of the vitreous body occurs naturally with aging and usually causes no damage to the retina, abnormal growth of the eye sometimes a result of nearsightedness , inflammation or injury, may also cause the vitreous to shrink.

In most cases, a significant change in the structure of the vitreous body occurs before the development of a retinal detachment. Once a retinal tear is present, watery fluid from the vitreous space may pass through the hole and flow between the retina and the back wall of the eye. The part of the retina that is detached will not work properly and there will be a blind spot in vision.

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the Unites States and many European countries. There are approximately , new cases of wet macular degeneration in the United States each year.

The average age of patients with the wet form of macular degeneration is the mids. It rarely occurs before the age of Wet macular degeneration is more common in whites, but occurs in all races. Age-related macular degeneration AMD is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision.

Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving. AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. AMD causes no pain. In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision.

In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.

The macular is located in the center of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. The retina instantly converts light, or an image, into electrical impulses.

The retina then sends these impulses, or nerve signals, to the brain. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels behind the retina start to grow under the macula. These new blood vessels tend to be very fragile and often leak blood and fluid. The blood and fluid raise the macula from its normal place at the back of the eye.

Damage to the macula occurs rapidly. With wet AMD, loss of central vision can occur quickly. Wet AMD is also known as advanced AMD. It does not have stages like dry AMD. An early symptom of wet AMD is that straight lines appear wavy.

If you notice this condition or other changes to your vision, contact your eye care professional at once. You need a comprehensive dilated exam. One key identifier for AMD is the collection of small, round, white-yellow, fatty deposits called drusen in the central part of the retina, the macula.

Dry AMD occurs when the light-sensitive cells in the macula slowly break down, gradually blurring central vision in the affected eye. As dry AMD gets worse, you may see a blurred spot in the center of your vision. Over time, as less of the macula functions, central vision is gradually lost in the affected eye.

The most common symptom of dry AMD is slightly blurred vision. You may have difficulty recognizing faces. You may need more light for reading and other tasks.

Dry AMD generally affects both eyes, but vision can be lost in one eye while the other eye seems unaffected. Drusen are yellow deposits under the retina. They often are found in people over age Your eye care professional can detect drusen during a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Drusen alone do not usually cause vision loss. In fact, scientists are unclear about the connection between drusen and AMD. These changes can cause serious vision loss. If you have vision loss from dry AMD in one eye only, you may not notice any changes in your overall vision. With the other eye seeing clearly, you still can drive, read, and see fine details.

You may notice changes in your vision only if AMD affects both eyes. If blurriness occurs in your vision, see an eye care professional for a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Ninety percent of all people with AMD have this type. Scientists are still not sure what causes dry AMD. For dry AMD: the most common early sign is blurred vision.

As fewer cells in the macula are able to function, people will see details less clearly in front of them, such as faces or words in a book. Often this blurred vision will go away in brighter light. If the loss of these light-sensing cells becomes great, people may see a small-but growing- blind spot in the middle of their field of vision.

For wet AMD: the classic early symptom is that straight lines appear crooked. This results when fluid from the leaking blood vessels gathers and lifts the macula, distorting vision.

Your eye care professional may suspect AMD if you are over age 60 and have had recent changes in your central vision. To look for signs of the disease, he or she will use eye drops to dilate, or enlarge your pupils.

Dilating the pupils allows your eye care professional to view the back of the eye better. The doctors at Singer Haley Vision Center may do other tests to learn more about the structure and health of your eye. During an eye exam, you may be asked to look at an Amsler grid.

The pattern of the grid resembles a checkerboard. You will cover one eye and state at a black dot in the center of the grid. While staring at the dot, you may notice that the straight lines in the pattern appear wavy. You may notice that some of the lines are missing.

These may be signs of AMD. If the doctors at Singer Haley Vision Center think you need treatment for wet AMD, he or she may suggest a fluorescein angiogram. In this test, a special dye is injected into your arm.

Pictures are taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in your retina. The test allows your eye care professional to identify any leaking blood vessels and recommend treatment. Wet AMD can be treated with laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, and injections into the eye. None of these treatments is a cure for wet AMD.

The disease and loss of vision may progress despite treatment. Once dry AMD reaches the advanced stage, no form of treatment can prevent vision loss.

However, treatment can delay and possibly prevent intermediate AMD from progressing to the advanced stage, in which vision loss occurs. The specific daily amounts of antioxidants and zinc used by the study researchers were milligrams of vitamin C, International Units of vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene often labeled as equivalent to 25, International Units of vitamin A , 80 milligrams of zinc as zinc oxide, and two milligrams of copper as cupric oxide.

Copper was added to the AREDS formulation containing zinc to prevent copper deficiency anemia, a condition associated with high levels of zinc intake. People who are at high risk for developing advanced AMD should consider taking the formulation.

You are at high risk for developing advanced AMD if you have either:. Your eye care professional can tell you if you have AMD, its stage, and your risk for developing the advanced form. The AREDS formulation is not a cure for AMD.

It will not restore vision already lost from the disease. However, it may delay the onset of advanced AMD. It may help people who are at high risk for developing advanced AMD keep their vision. Can people with early stage AMD take the AREDS formulation to help prevent the disease from progressing to the intermediate stage?

There is no apparent need for those diagnosed with early stage AMD to take the AREDS formulation. The study did not find that the formulation provided a benefit to those with early stage AMD.

Diabetes can also affect your vision by causing cataracts and glaucoma. Diabetic retinopathy can potentially severely affect the vision as a result of blood vessels inside the retina becoming damaged from the high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes.

This leads to the leakage of fluids into the retina and the obstruction of blood flow. More than one-third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not receive the recommended vision care and are at risk for vision loss.

Often early symptoms are unnoticed, therefore your vision may not be affected until the disease is severe and less easily treatable. In advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy, laser treatment has been shown to reduce the chance of severe vision loss and blindness.

Laser does not cure diabetic retinopathy or restore vision that has already been lost, nor does it prevent future vision loss, especially if diabetes or blood pressure is not well controlled. If you have diabetes, you may get cataracts at a younger age and your chances of developing glaucoma are doubled.

Please ask a member of staff or your Consultant should you need any additional information before laser. Prepared by Mr.

Zambarakji FRCOphth, D. M Consultant Ophthalmic surgeon. Guide to Central Retinal Vein Occlusion and Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion. Guide to Diabetic Retinopathy. Guide to Laser Treatment for Diabetic Eye Disease. Guide to Macular holes.

Guide to Epiretinal Membranes. Guide to Flashes and Floaters. Guide to Aquired Retinoshisis. Guide to Myopic Macular Disease.

You can start seeing dark spots in your vision if you have diabetic retinopathy, and it can lead to blindness if not treated early enough. Learn more. No, diabetes-related retinopathy is not reversible. But you can slow down progression or stop it from getting worse through diabetes management, eye….

Eye injections are the only medication currently available to treat diabetes-related retinopathy. They are not painful and don't cause many side…. You can help lower your risk of diabetes-related eye damage by doing things such as keeping your blood sugars in target range and taking your….

Changes will happen in your retina when you develop diabetic retinopathy. This may include swelling, leaking blood vessels, or atypical growths…. You may not notice any vision changes with background diabetic retinopathy.

Treatment isn't needed, but improving blood sugar levels can help prevent…. The biggest risk factors for developing diabetic retinopathy include blood sugar levels and age, as well as genetic risk.

A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Treating Diabetic Retinopathy with Lasers: What You Should Know. Medically reviewed by William C Lloyd III, MD, FACS — By Christine Fallabel on July 6, About laser therapy What to expect How painful?

Risks Success rate Cost Takeaway Laser treatments are used to slow and stop the progression of diabetic retinopathy. What is laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy? What can you expect during laser therapy for retinopathy? Is laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy painful? Personal experience on diabetic retinopathy laser treatment Healthline editor Mike Hoskins knows firsthand how laser treatment works for diabetes-related retinopathy.

Was this helpful? What are the side effects of laser treatment? How effective is eye laser therapy for diabetic retinopathy? How much does laser treatment cost? How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Jul 6, Written By Christine Fallabel. To find diabetic retinopathy, the ophthalmologist looks at the inside of the eye using an instrument called an ophthalmoscope.

The pupils may need to be dilated enlarged with eye drops. If your ophthalmologist finds diabetic retinopathy, he or she may order color photographs of the retina or a special test called fluorescein angiography to find out if you need treatment.

Fluorescein angiography is a test where dye is injected in your arm and special photos of your eye are taken. How Is Diabetic Retinopathy Treated? Your Ophthalmologist Will Consider: Your age Your medical history Your lifestyle How much your retina is damaged In many cases treatment is not necessary, but you will need to continue having regular eye exams.

In other cases, treatment is recommended to stop the damage of diabetic retinopathy and improve sight whenever possible. Laser surgery is often helpful in treating diabetic retinopathy. A beam of laser light is focused on the damaged retina.

Small bursts of the laser's beam seal leaking retinal vessels to reduce macular edema. This is called photocoagulation. For abnormal blood vessel growth neovascularization , the laser beam bursts are scattered throughout the side areas of the retina.

The small laser scars reduce the abnormal blood vessel growth and help bond the retina to the back of the eye, preventing retinal detachment. In photocoagulation, a laser is focused on the retina to seal leaking blood vessels and reduce abnormal blood vessel growth.

Laser surgery may be performed in your ophthalmologist's office or an outpatient clinic. If diabetic retinopathy is detected early, laser surgery slows down vision loss.

Even in the more advanced stages of the disease proliferative retinopathy , it reduces the chance of severe visual impairment. In advanced proliferative diabetic retinopathy, the ophthalmologist may recommend intraocular injections or a vitrectomy.

This microsurgical procedure is performed in the operating room. Vitrectomy removes the blood-filled vitreous and replaces it with a clear solution. Sometimes the ophthalmologist may wait from several months up to a year to see if the blood clears on its own, before going ahead with a vitrectomy.

Vision Loss Is Largely Preventable. Diabetic retinopathy may be present without any symptoms. Early detection of diabetic retinopathy is the best protection against loss of vision.

People with diabetes should schedule examinations by an ophthalmologist at least once a year. More frequent medical eye examinations may be necessary once diabetic retinopathy has been diagnosed.

With careful monitoring, the ophthalmologist can begin treatment before sight is affected. When indicated, laser, medical and operative surgery are highly effective treatments for diabetic retinopathy. Learn More. Wear sunglasses to keep bright light out of your eyes while they are still dilated.

Your vision may be blurry and your eye may hurt a little for a day or two after the treatment. Be sure to keep all follow-up appointments with your doctor and report any changes in vision that you notice.

Follow-up treatment can make a big difference in keeping your vision for the long term. Laser photocoagulation is done to reduce the risk of vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy.

It is most often used to stabilize vision and prevent future vision loss rather than to improve vision loss that has already occurred. Sometimes focal photocoagulation for macular edema caused by non-proliferative retinopathy can help restore lost vision.

Laser photocoagulation may be used to treat and prevent further progression of:. Laser treatment may not restore vision that has already been lost. But when it is done in a timely manner, laser treatment may reduce the risk of future vision loss.

Laser photocoagulation burns and destroys part of the retina and often results in some permanent vision loss.

This is usually unavoidable. Treatment may cause mild loss of central vision, reduced night vision, and decreased ability to focus. Some people may lose some of their side peripheral vision. But the vision loss caused by laser treatment is mild compared with the vision loss that may be caused by untreated retinopathy.

Rare complications of laser photocoagulation may cause severe vision loss. These include:. Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.

Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.