Learn About Diabetic Retinopathy

What is the definition of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetes can harm the eyes. It can damage the small blood vessels in the retina, the back part of your eye. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetes also increases the chance of having glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye problems.

What are the alternative names for Diabetic Retinopathy?

Retinopathy - diabetic; Photocoagulation - retina; Diabetic retinopathy

What are the causes of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is caused by damage from diabetes to blood vessels of the retina. The retina is the layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye. It changes light and images that enter the eye into nerve signals, which are sent to the brain.

Diabetic retinopathy is a main cause of decreased vision or blindness in Americans ages 20 to 74 years. People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at risk for this condition. Some people who have type 2 diabetes that develops slowly already have eye damage when they are first diagnosed.

The chance of developing retinopathy and having a more severe form is higher when:

  • You have had diabetes for a long time.
  • Your blood sugar (glucose) has been poorly controlled.
  • You also smoke or you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

If you already have damage to the blood vessels in your eye, some types of exercise can make the problem worse. Check with your health care provider before starting an exercise program.

Other eye problems that can occur in people with diabetes include:

  • Cataract -- Cloudiness of the eye lens.
  • Glaucoma -- Increased pressure in the eye that can lead to blindness.
  • Macular edema -- Blurry vision due to fluid leaking into the area of the retina that provides sharp central vision.
  • Retinal detachment -- Scarring that may cause part of the retina to pull away from the back of your eyeball.

High blood sugar or rapid changes in blood sugar level often cause blurred vision that is usually brief and temporary. This is because the lens in the middle of the eye cannot change shape when it has too much sugar and water in the lens. This is not the same problem as diabetic retinopathy.

What are the symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Most often, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms until the damage to your eyes is severe. This is because damage to much of the retina can occur before your vision is affected.

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:

  • Blurred vision and slow vision loss over time
  • Floaters
  • Shadows or missing areas of vision
  • Trouble seeing at night

Many people with early diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms before bleeding occurs in the eye. This is why everyone with diabetes should have regular eye exams.

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What are the current treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy?

People with early diabetic retinopathy may not need treatment. But they should be closely followed by an eye doctor who is trained to diagnose and treat diabetic eye diseases.

If your eye doctor notices new blood vessels growing in your retina (neovascularization) or you develop macular edema, treatment is usually needed.

Eye surgery is the main treatment for diabetic retinopathy.

  • Laser eye surgery creates small burns in the retina where there are abnormal blood vessels. This process is called photocoagulation. It is used to keep vessels from leaking, or to shrink abnormal vessels.
  • Surgery called vitrectomy is used when there is bleeding (hemorrhage) into the eye. It may also be used to repair retinal detachment.

Medicines that are injected into the eyeball may help prevent abnormal blood vessels from growing and improve macular edema.

Follow your eye doctor's advice on how to protect your vision. Have eye exams as often as recommended, usually once every 1 to 2 years.

If you have diabetes and your blood sugar has been very high, your provider will adjust the medicines to lower your blood sugar level. If you have diabetic retinopathy, your vision can get worse for a short time when you begin taking medicine that quickly improves your blood sugar level.

Who are the top Diabetic Retinopathy Local Doctors?
Endocrinology
Endocrinology

Trinity Health Of New England Provider Network Organization Inc

1075 Asylum Ave, 
Hartford, CT 
 1.5 mi
Offers Telehealth

Ibitoro Osakwe is an Endocrinologist in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Osakwe and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. Her top areas of expertise are Thyroid Nodule, Thyroid Storm, Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).

Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology

Retina Consultants PC

43 Woodland St, Suite 100, 
Hartford, CT 
 1.6 mi

Ron Margolis is an Ophthalmologist in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Margolis and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Geographic Atrophy, and Retinal Detachment.

 
 
 
 
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Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology

Retina Consultants PC

43 Woodland St, Suite 100, 
Hartford, CT 
 1.6 mi

Jerry Neuwirth is an Ophthalmologist in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Neuwirth and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Retinal Detachment, and Geographic Atrophy.

What are the support groups for Diabetic Retinopathy?

More information and support for people with diabetes and their families can be found at:

  • American Diabetes Association -- www.diabetes.org
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases -- www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes
  • Prevent Blindness America -- www.preventblindness.org
What is the outlook (prognosis) for Diabetic Retinopathy?

Managing your diabetes may help slow diabetic retinopathy and other eye problems. Control your blood sugar (glucose) level by:

  • Eating healthy foods
  • Getting regular exercise
  • Checking your blood sugar as often as instructed by your diabetes provider and keeping a record of your numbers so you know the types of foods and activities that affect your blood sugar level
  • Taking medicine or insulin as instructed

Treatments can reduce vision loss. They do not cure diabetic retinopathy or reverse the changes that have already occurred.

What are the possible complications of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic eye disease can lead to reduced vision and blindness.

When should I contact a medical professional for Diabetic Retinopathy?

Call for an appointment with an eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) if you have diabetes and you have not seen an optometrist or ophthalmologist in the past year.

Contact your provider if any of the following symptoms are new or are becoming worse:

  • You cannot see well in dim light.
  • You have blind spots.
  • You have double vision (you see two things when there is only one).
  • Your vision is hazy or blurry and you cannot focus.
  • You have pain in one of your eyes.
  • You are having headaches.
  • You see spots floating in your eyes.
  • You cannot see things on the side of your field of vision.
  • You see shadows.
How do I prevent Diabetic Retinopathy?

Good control of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol are very important for preventing diabetic retinopathy.

Do not smoke. If you need help quitting, ask your provider.

Women with diabetes who become pregnant should have more frequent eye exams during pregnancy and for a year after delivery.

What are the latest Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Trials?
A Phase II, Double-Masked, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Design Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Orally Administered VX-01 in Diabetic Retinopathy of Non-Proliferative Type (NPDR)

Summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of VX-01 as stand-alone treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy of Non-Proliferative Type (NPDR). The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of daily oral doses of VX-01 versus placebo following 52 weeks of treatment.

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Village-Integrated Eye Worker Trial II (VIEW II):A Cluster-randomized Trial of the Effectiveness of Community-based Ocular Disease Screening in Nepal

Summary: The vast majority of blindness is avoidable. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of cases of visual impairment could be prevented or reversed with early diagnosis and treatment. The leading causes of visual impairment are cataract and refractive error, followed by glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Loss of vision from these condition...

Who are the sources who wrote this article ?

Published Date: February 10, 2023
Published By: Sandeep K. Dhaliwal, MD, board-certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Springfield, VA. Internal review and update on 02/20/2024 by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

What are the references for this article ?

American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. 12. Retinopathy, neuropathy, and foot care: standards of care in diabetes-2024. Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Suppl 1):S231-S243. PMID: 38078577 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38078577/.

Silva PS, Salongcay RP. Diabetic retinopathy. In: Yanoff M, Duker JS, eds. Ophthalmology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 6.18.

Skugor M. Diabetes mellitus. In: Sadda SVR, Sarraf D, Freund KB, et al, eds. Ryan's Retina. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 48.