The Many Ways Diabetes Affects Your Eyes

Vision lost to diabetic retinopathy is sometimes irreversible. However, early detection and treatment can reduce the risk of blindness by 95%.

Because diabetic retinopathy often lacks early symptoms, people with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year.

People with diabetic retinopathy may need eye exams more frequently, and women with diabetes who become pregnant should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam as soon as possible.

Additional exams during pregnancy may be needed.

Early diabetic retinopathy – If one has mild or moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, one may not need treatment right away.

However, the eye doctor will closely monitor the eyes to determine when you might need treatment.

Work with a diabetes doctor (endocrinologist) to determine if there are ways to improve diabetes management. When diabetic retinopathy is mild or moderate, good blood sugar control can usually slow the progression.

Advanced diabetic retinopathy – If one has proliferative diabetic retinopathy or macular oedema, one will need prompt surgical treatment.

Photocoagulation, also known as focal or grid laser treatment, can stop or slow the leakage of blood and fluid in the eye.

During the procedure, leaks from abnormal blood vessels are treated with laser burns. It is usually done in an eye clinic.

Panretinal photocoagulation, also known as scatter laser treatment, can shrink abnormal blood vessels.

During the procedure, the areas of the retina away from the macula are treated with scattered laser burns. The burns cause the abnormal new blood vessels to shrink and scar.

Some loss of peripheral vision or night vision after the procedure is possible.

In vitrectomy, a tiny incision is made in the eye to remove blood from the middle of the eye (vitreous), as well as scar tissue that’s tugging on the retina.

It’s done in a surgery centre or hospital using local or general anaesthesia.

The eye doctor may also suggest injecting medication into the vitreous of the eye.

These medications, called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, may help stop growth of new blood vessels by blocking the effects of growth signals the body sends to generate new blood vessels.

The doctor may recommend these medications, also called anti-VEGF therapy, as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with panretinal photocoagulation.

All the above treatments slow or stop the progression of diabetic retinopathy, but it’s not a cure. Because diabetes is a lifelong condition, future retinal damage and vision loss are still possible.