Find YOUR Retina Specialist ». If you have diabetes, the National Eye Institute suggests that you keep your health on TRACK:. T ake your medications as prescribed by your doctor R each and maintain a healthy weight A dd physical activity to your day C ontrol your ABCs—A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol levels K ick the smoking habit.

Regular dilated retina exams can reduce the risk of developing more severe complications from the disease. If you have diabetes, it is extremely important to maintain the eye examination schedule put in place by your retina specialist. How often an examination is needed depends on the severity of your disease.

Through early detection, the retina specialist can begin a treatment regimen to help you prevent vision loss and preserve the activities you most enjoy.

The best way to diagnose diabetic retinopathy is a dilated retina exam. During this exam, the physician places drops in the eyes to make the pupils dilate open widely to allow a better view of the inside of the eye, especially the retinal tissue. If you are over age 50, a dilated retina exam every 1 to 2 years is a good idea so that a physician can look for signs of diabetes or diabetic retinopathy before any vision loss has occurred.

In addition to this exam, physicians use other advanced tests to detect and manage diabetic retinopathy. There are many approved treatments for diabetic retinopathy, including intravitreal in-the-eye injections, laser treatments and surgery. These procedures can be done in an office or hospital setting to prevent, treat or reverse damage from diabetes in the retina.

Early diagnosis and treatment are very important in order to preserve sight and can virtually eliminate vision loss. For those who do experience vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, there are resources that can help. For example, your retina specialist may recommend a low vision rehabilitation program to make everyday living with this disease a little bit easier.

About ASRS The Foundation of the ASRS Makes a Difference. Find your Retina Specialist. What is Diabetic Retinopathy? The Retina and Diabetic Retinopathy. As a result, new, fragile blood vessels can begin to grow in the retina and into the vitreous, the gel-like fluid that fills the back of the eye.

The new blood vessels may leak blood into the vitreous, clouding vision. Other complications of PDR include detachment of the retina due to scar tissue formation and the development of glaucoma.

Glaucoma is an eye disease in which there is progressive damage to the optic nerve. In PDR, new blood vessels grow into the area of the eye that drains fluid from the eye. This greatly raises the eye pressure, which damages the optic nerve.

If left untreated, PDR can cause severe vision loss and even blindness. Diabetic retinopathy can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye examination. Testing, with emphasis on evaluating the retina and macula, may include:.

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy varies depending on the extent of the disease. People with diabetic retinopathy may need laser surgery to seal leaking blood vessels or to discourage other blood vessels from leaking. A doctor of optometry might need to inject medications into the eye to decrease inflammation or stop the formation of new blood vessels.

People with advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy might need a surgical procedure to remove and replace the gel-like fluid in the back of the eye, called the vitreous. Surgery may also be needed to repair a retinal detachment.

This is a separation of the light-receiving lining in the back of the eye. Laser treatment photocoagulation is used to stop the leakage of blood and fluid into the retina. A laser beam of light can be used to create small burns in areas of the retina with abnormal blood vessels to try to seal the leaks.

Treatment for diabetic retinopathy depends on the stage of the disease. The goal of any treatment is to slow or stop the progression of the disease. In the early stages of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, regular monitoring may be the only treatment.

Following your doctor's advice for diet and exercise and controlling blood sugar levels can help control the progression of the disease. Injections of medication in the eye are aimed at discouraging the formation of abnormal blood vessels and may help slow down the damaging effects of diabetic retinopathy.

If the disease advances, the abnormal blood vessels can leak blood and fluid into the retina, leading to macular edema. Laser treatment photocoagulation can stop this leakage. A laser beam of light creates small burns in areas of the retina with abnormal blood vessels to try to seal the leaks.

Widespread blood vessel growth in the retina, which occurs in proliferative diabetic retinopathy, can be treated by creating a pattern of scattered laser burns across the retina.

This causes abnormal blood vessels to shrink and disappear. With this procedure, some side vision may be lost in order to safeguard the central vision. Acanthamoeba is one of the most common organisms in the environment. Although it rarely causes infection, when it does occur, it can threaten your vision.

Amblyopia—also known as lazy eye—is the loss or lack of development of clear vision in one or both eyes. Forgot username or password? You do not have access to this content. Call Not a member? Join the AOA today! Eye and Vision Conditions. It causes progressive damage to the retina, the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye.

These damaged blood vessels can cause vision loss: Fluid can leak into the macula, the area of the retina responsible for clear central vision. Although small, the macula is the part of the retina that allows us to see colors and fine detail. The fluid causes the macula to swell, resulting in blurred vision.

In an attempt to improve blood circulation in the retina, new blood vessels may form on its surface. These fragile, abnormal blood vessels can leak blood into the back of the eye and block vision. Diabetic retinopathy is classified into two types.

Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy NPDR is the early stage of the disease in which symptoms will be mild or nonexistent.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy Proliferative diabetic retinopathy PDR is the more advanced form of the disease. Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy include: Diabetes.

People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. The longer a person has diabetes, the more likely he or she is to develop diabetic retinopathy, particularly if the diabetes is poorly controlled.

Hispanics and African Americans are at greater risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Medical conditions. People with other medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, are at greater risk. Pregnant women face a higher risk of developing diabetes and diabetic retinopathy.

If a woman develops gestational diabetes, she has a higher risk of developing diabetes as she ages. Family History. Symptoms Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include: Seeing spots or floaters.

Blurred vision.

About 20 to 30 minutes later, your eyes will be fully dilated. With the use of special lenses and lights, the doctor will visually examine your retina. To detect retinopathy, the doctor looks at all the retinal tissues. For signs of macular edema, the doctor looks at the macula in the back of your eye, but this may not be enough for a diagnosis.

Your doctor may perform an optical coherence tomography, which is a laser exam of the back of the eye. While the retina is very thin, the test can measure retinal thickening as small as a thousandth of a millimeter. A fluorescein angiogram is a test that can detect diabetic retinopathy. During the test, a dye is injected into your arm.

Within 45 seconds, the dye reaches the back of the eye. Just like how blood leaks from weak blood vessels, so does the dye. Special photographs help document the results.

If you have diabetes and visit your doctor for blurred vision, you can expect to have some or all of these tests. Your doctor will also check for cataracts clouding of the lenses in the eye and glaucoma high pressure in the eye , which are more common in people with diabetes.

Glaucoma can develop when abnormal blood vessels grow in the iris, the colored part of the eye, due to proliferative retinopathy.

If your diabetic retinopathy is moderate and stable, treatment may not be necessary right away. The treatments for macular edema and proliferative retinopathy can prevent vision loss and even restore some of your lost vision.

They include:. Scientists are studying better ways to find, treat and prevent vision loss in people with diabetes. With proper examinations, diabetic retinopathy can be detected before vision loss begins. As a result of major government- and industrysponsored studies, there are many approved treatments for diabetic retinopathy, including intravitreal injections small injections of medications into the middle cavity of the eye , laser treatments, and vitreous and retina surgery.

These procedures can be done in an office or hospital setting to prevent, treat, or reverse damage from diabetes in the retina. Research has shown that eye injections often result in better vision than laser treatment alone for patients with diabetic macular edema.

The key to these treatments is their ability to block vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF , a chemical signal that stimulates leakage and abnormal blood vessel growth. Repeated doses of anti-VEGF medications into the eye, such as Lucentis ranibizumab , Avastin bevacizumab , Eylea aflibercept and Vabysmo faricimab may be needed to prevent blood vessels from leaking fluid and causing vision loss.

Some eyes with diabetic macular edema respond better to intravitreal steroid injections triamcinolone or Ozurdex dexamethason implant than anti-VEGF injections.

When proliferative diabetic retinopathy develops, this is treated with a laser treatment called panretinal photocoagulation PRP and possibly anti- EGF injections. Vitrectomy surgery removal of the vitreous may be used in eyes with vitreous hemorrhage or severe scar tissue on the retina epiretinal membrane or traction retinal detachment.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy or diabetes and have vision loss that cannot be reversed, a retina specialist can help you find access to rehabilitation with a variety of tools to make everyday living with this disease a little bit easier.

If you have diabetes, the National Eye Institute suggests that you keep your health on TRACK :. Regular dilated eye exams reduce the risk of developing more severe complications from the disease. It is extremely important for diabetic patients to maintain the eye examination schedule put in place by the retina specialist.

How often an examination is needed depends on the severity of your disease. Through early detection, the retina specialist can begin a treatment regimen to preserve your vision. Copyright © The Foundation of the American Society of Retina Specialists. All rights reserved.

About ASRS The Foundation of the ASRS Makes a Difference. Facts from the Foundation of the ASRS. Committed to improving the quality of life of all people with retinal disease. Risk factors Anyone who has diabetes is at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Additional factors can increase the risk: Disease duration: the longer someone has diabetes, the greater the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Poor control of blood sugar levels over time High blood pressure High cholesterol levels Pregnancy. Authors THANK YOU TO THE RETINA HEALTH SERIES AUTHORS Sophie J.

Bakri, MD Audina Berrocal, MD Antonio Capone, Jr. Dugel, MD Geoffrey G. Emerson, MD, PhD K. Regular dilated retina exams can reduce the risk of developing more severe complications from the disease. If you have diabetes, it is extremely important to maintain the eye examination schedule put in place by your retina specialist.

How often an examination is needed depends on the severity of your disease. Through early detection, the retina specialist can begin a treatment regimen to help you prevent vision loss and preserve the activities you most enjoy. The best way to diagnose diabetic retinopathy is a dilated retina exam.

During this exam, the physician places drops in the eyes to make the pupils dilate open widely to allow a better view of the inside of the eye, especially the retinal tissue. If you are over age 50, a dilated retina exam every 1 to 2 years is a good idea so that a physician can look for signs of diabetes or diabetic retinopathy before any vision loss has occurred.

In addition to this exam, physicians use other advanced tests to detect and manage diabetic retinopathy. There are many approved treatments for diabetic retinopathy, including intravitreal in-the-eye injections, laser treatments and surgery. These procedures can be done in an office or hospital setting to prevent, treat or reverse damage from diabetes in the retina.

Early diagnosis and treatment are very important in order to preserve sight and can virtually eliminate vision loss. For those who do experience vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, there are resources that can help. For example, your retina specialist may recommend a low vision rehabilitation program to make everyday living with this disease a little bit easier.

Once a person gets their blood sugar levels under control, the lens will usually return to its original shape, and vision will improve. More than 2 in 5 people with diabetes in the United States have some stage of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy does not usually produce symptoms during the early stages.

Symptoms typically become noticeable when the condition is more advanced. Diabetic retinopathy tends to affect both eyes. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include:. When blood vessels bleed into the main jelly that fills the eye, known as the vitreous, this is called vitreous hemorrhage.

In mild cases, the symptoms include floaters, but more severe cases can involve vision loss, as the blood in the vitreous blocks light from entering the eye. In some cases, diabetic retinopathy can lead to a detached retina. This complication can happen if scar tissue pulls the retina away from the back of the eye.

A detached retina presents a significant risk of total vision loss if a person does not get treatment. The normal flow of fluid in the eye may become blocked as new blood vessels form, leading to glaucoma. The blockage causes a buildup of pressure in the eye, increasing the risk of optic nerve damage and vision loss.

Anybody with diabetes is at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. However, the risk is higher if the person:. Diabetic retinopathy generally starts without any noticeable change in the vision. However, an eye specialist, called an ophthalmologist , can detect the signs.

It is important that people with diabetes have an eye examination at least once a year or when a doctor recommends that they do. These drops dilate the pupils and allow the doctor to view the inside of the eye.

These eye drops and the bright lights of the photographs can feel uncomfortable. In high risk individuals, the eye drops may cause an increase in ocular pressure.

They will then take pictures as the dye circulates the eyes. The dye may leak into the retina or stain the blood vessels if the blood vessels are abnormal.

This test can help the doctor determine which blood vessels are leaking fluid or have broken down or become blocked. This information provides accurate guidance for any laser treatments. It may sometimes indicate the need for the injection of medicine into the eye.

As the dye exits the body, people may notice that they have yellowish skin or dark orange urine for a day or so. Optical coherence tomography OCT is a noninvasive imaging scan that provides high resolution cross-sectional images of the retina, revealing its thickness and allowing eye doctors to look for cysts or swelling.

OCT is similar to ultrasound testing, but it uses light rather than sound to produce images. The scan can also aid the detection of diseases of the optic nerve. Treating diabetic retinopathy depends on several factors, including the severity of the condition and how it has responded to previous treatments.

This approach is known as watchful waiting. In some cases, a person may need a comprehensive dilated eye exam as often as every 2—4 months. Individuals will need to work with their doctor to control diabetes.

Good blood sugar control can significantly slow the development of diabetic retinopathy. A doctor uses targeted lasers to shrink blood vessels in the eye and seal the leaks from abnormal blood vessels.

This treatment can either stop or slow down the leakage of blood and the buildup of fluid in the eye. People may need more than one session. The procedure involves the doctor placing numbing medicine in the eye and then aiming a strong beam of light into the eye using a special lens.

The bright light can sting or feel uncomfortable, and it is common to experience blurry vision for the rest of the day. Small spots may appear in the visual field for a few weeks after the procedure.

Laser treatment comes with certain risks, such as a loss of peripheral vision, color vision, and night vision. A person can talk to their doctor about the relative benefits and risks of this treatment.

Certain medicines can reduce swelling and minimize leakage from blood vessels in the eyes. Medicines may include anti-VEGF drugs and corticosteroids.

People may need to get regular injections, but over time, they usually require injections less frequently. If a person has problems with the retina or vitreous, they may benefit from a vitrectomy. This procedure is the removal of some of the vitreous from the eye.

The aim is to replace cloudy vitreous or blood to improve vision and to help the doctor find and repair any sources of retinal bleeding. After removing the cloudy or bloody vitreous, the surgeon will insert a clear liquid or gas in its place.

The body will absorb the liquid or gas over time and create new vitreous in its place. After the surgery, the person will usually need to wear an eye patch for about a day and use eye drops to reduce swelling and prevent infections. If the doctor puts a gas bubble in the eye, the person will need to hold their head in a certain position for a few days or weeks to make sure that the bubble stays in the right place.

They will also need to avoid flying and visiting places at high altitudes until the bubble goes away. Surgery is not a cure for diabetic retinopathy, but it may stop or slow the progression of symptoms. Diabetes is a long-term condition, and subsequent retinal damage and vision loss may still occur despite treatment.

High blood pressure, or hypertension , is another contributing factor. People with diabetes can take steps to control their blood pressure , such as:. Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that affects people with diabetes.

Without treatment, it can cause complications that include vision loss. Your doctor will also look at the retina and inside of your eyes and may use a dye to reveal leaky blood vessels. If it turns out you have diabetic retinopathy, your eye doctor may want to check your vision more often than once a year.

If you have type 1 diabetes, you should be checked within 5 years of your diagnosis and then regularly thereafter, typically every year. Call your eye doctor if you notice changes in your vision, especially if they happen suddenly.

Changes may include:. Treating diabetic retinopathy can repair damage to the eye and even prevent blindness in most people. Treatment can start before your sight is affected, which helps prevent vision loss. Options include:. A cataract is the clouding of the normally clear lens in your eye.

One reason is that high blood sugar can cause deposits to build up in the lenses and make them cloudy. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, having obesity, too much sun exposure over time, and smoking.

Using brighter lights in your home and anti-glare sunglasses outside can help early on. If your cataracts get in the way of doing everyday activities, it may be time for surgery. The good news is the surgery is very safe, and most people have better vision afterwards! Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, usually because of too much pressure in the eye.

People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop open-angle glaucoma, the most common type. Diabetes can also cause neovascular glaucoma. This happens sometimes with diabetic retinopathy when new and abnormal blood vessels grow on the iris the colored part of the eye.

The new vessels can block off the flow of fluid out of the eye, which raises eye pressure. Treatment options include medicines, laser treatment, and surgery. Talk to your eye doctor about what choices are best for you. Eye problems are common in people with diabetes, but treatments can be very effective.

Only your eye doctor can diagnose eye diseases, so make sure to get a dilated eye exam at least once a year. The earlier eye problems are found and treated, the better for your eyesight. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search.

Español Other Languages. Diabetes and Vision Loss Español Spanish Print. Minus Related Pages. Get a dilated eye exam at least once a year to protect your eyesight. Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy Anyone with type 1 , type 2 , or gestational diabetes diabetes while pregnant can develop diabetic retinopathy.

These factors can also increase your risk: Blood sugar , blood pressure, and cholesterol levels that are too high. Help for Low Vision. Symptoms in the advanced stage can include: Blurry vision Spots or dark shapes in your vision floaters Trouble seeing colors Dark or empty areas in your vision Vision loss How Diabetic Retinopathy Is Diagnosed During your eye exam, your eye doctor will check how well you see the details of letters or symbols from a distance.

Changes may include: Blurring Spots Flashes Blind spots Distortion Difficulty reading or doing detail work. Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment Treating diabetic retinopathy can repair damage to the eye and even prevent blindness in most people.

Options include: Laser therapy also called laser photocoagulation. This creates a barrier of scar tissue that slows the growth of new blood vessels. Medicines called VEGF inhibitors, which can slow down or reverse diabetic retinopathy. Removing all or part of the vitreous vitrectomy. Reattachment of the retina for retinal detachment, a complication of diabetic retinopathy.

Injection of medicines called corticosteroids. Other Eye Diseases. Keep your blood sugar levels in your target range as much as possible.