Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy

When diabetes goes unchecked for several years, blood vessels in the retina become leaky, causing blood and fluids to enter and damage the retina, thereby leading to vision loss. The treatments for diabetic retinopathy vary based on the severity of disease. Minor amounts of diabetic retinopathy can be observed, whereas more significant amounts of diabetic retinal disease require laser treatment, ocular injections, or eye surgery. Generally, the more advanced the diabetic retinopathy, the less successful treatments tend to be.

Diabetes is one of those diseases which can cause silent undetected damage, and for this reason, it is vital for diabetics to make certain they periodically see their eye care provider. There are some causes of vision loss which patients cannot prevent; but because diabetic retinopathy is preventable, it is a real shame when patients lose vision due to this disease. Diabetic are almost always referred by their primary care providers to an eye doctor for an evaluation, but if you are a diabetic and have not yet seen an eye doctor, please do so!