Diabetic Retinopathy

Overview

Diabetic retinopathy is damage that happens to the eye’s retina that occurs with long-term diabetes.

Warning Signs & Symptoms

Many people with early diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms before major bleeding occurs in the eye. Diabetics should be aware of any symptoms that do occur, including blurred vision, blindness, floaters or shadows and missing areas of vision.

Treatment/Procedures

Treatment does not usually reverse damage that has already occurred, but it will keep the disease from getting worse. A surgical procedure called vitrectomy is used when there is bleeding into the eye.

Prevention

Closely monitoring blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol is important when preventing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetics beginning a new exercise program, or who are planning to get pregnant, need to have their eyes reexamined first. Since the early stages of the disease have no symptoms, everyone with diabetes should have regular eye exams.

Rehabilitation

The eyes of patients who undergo a vitrectomy to treat diabetic eye retinopathy will be red and sensitive following the procedure. Patients will need to wear an eye patch for a few days or weeks to protect the eye. They also will need to use medicated eyedrops to protect against infection.

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