If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, it means your blood sugar (or blood glucose) is higher than it should be. Excess sugar in the blood can cause damage to blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the eyes. This can result to diabetic retinopathy.
What is diabetic retinopathy? When someone develops this eye disease, the tiny blood vessels in the retina of the eye become damaged and may begin to swell and leak fluid. In some cases, existing blood vessels may close off and new abnormal blood vessels may grow on the retina. Untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to vision loss and even blindness.
Who Is at High Risk for Diabetes-Related Retinopathy?
Anyone who has diabetes is at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. The disease is the most common cause of vision loss in those who have diabetes. In fact, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 1 in 3 people aged 40 or older who have diabetes show early signs of diabetic retinopathy.
That doesn’t mean, however, that you will automatically develop the disease if you have diabetes. The risk of developing the condition increases with age. It’s more common among those with certain risk factors, including:
- Smoking
- High blood sugar
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Certain groups have an increased risk of developed diabetic eye disease, including diabetic retinopathy. They are:
- African Americans
- American Indians
- Alaska Natives
- Hispanics
- Pacific Islanders
Women with diabetes who become pregnant or those who develop gestational diabetes are also at an increased risk.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy
What does diabetic retinopathy look like? In many cases, diabetic retinopathy doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms in its earliest stages. As the condition progresses, it may cause:
Blurred vision
What you’re seeing may be blurred or appear wavy in some cases.
Poor night vision
You may have difficulty seeing in low light conditions, including at night. It may also be more difficult to see in changing light conditions, such as moving from a well-lit room to a darker one.
Eye floaters
It is common to see spots or dark “strings” that seem to be in your eyes or in front of them. You may also see flashes of light at times.
Impaired color vision
You may have difficulty deciphering between colors.
Poor peripheral vision
It may become more difficult to see to the side, what is known as your peripheral vision.
Nearsightedness or farsightedness
You may experience changes in vision, including your ability to see up close or at a distance. It is also not uncommon to have your vision fluctuate from day to day.
Can Diabetic Retinopathy Be Reversed?
In most cases, the damage caused by diabetic retinopathy is not reversible. Recent and future innovations, though, may change that.
While most treatment options focus on stopping the damage to your eyes, some newer treatment options—known as anti-VEGF drugs—have been shown to slow and even reverse diabetic retinopathy. These medications are injected into the eye and work by blocking VEGF, or vascular endothelial growth factor.
Too much of the VEGF protein is what causes blood vessels in the retina to swell and leak, so blocking it can slow damage. In some cases, these injected medications have even been shown to recover some vision loss.
Making lifestyle changes to lower your blood sugar and mitigate other risk factors, including exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet, can also help slow the disease.
When you should seek care for diabetic retinopathy
Because early-stage diabetic retinopathy may not cause any symptoms, the National Eye Institute recommends that those who have diabetes undergo a dilated eye exam with an eye health professional each year. These exams allow a provider to get a detailed look at the anatomy of the eye, surveying it for damage.
What is the first sign of diabetic retinopathy? Spots, streaks, or flashes of light in your vision are signs you should see a provider right away, even if the symptoms are fleeting. These symptoms can be indications that the blood vessels in the retina are leaking potentially causing harm to the eye.
It is important for diabetic retinopathy to be treated as early as possible since it will continue to cause damage to the eye. Untreated diabetic retinopathy can also lead to other eye conditions, including diabetic macular edema, neovascular glaucoma, and even retinal detachment. Having routine eye exams and seeking care promptly for emerging symptoms can help prevent that.
Diabetic Eye Care at Texas Diabetes Institute
University Health Texas Diabetes Institute provides specialized eye care for people with diabetes.
