There are a number of treatment options for diabetic retinopathy. Your eye doctor may suggest laser treatment, which involves a light beam aimed into the retina of the damaged eye. The beam closes off leaking blood vessels, which may stop blood and fluid from leaking into the vitreous and slow down the loss of sight.

If a lot of blood has leaked into your vitreous and your sight is poor, your eye doctor might suggest you have surgery called a vitrectomy. This procedure removes blood and fluids from the vitreous of your eye. Then, clean fluid is put back into the eye. The surgery often makes your eyesight better.

What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision.

If you have diabetic retinopathy, at first, you may notice no changes to your vision. But over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes.

Stages

Diabetic retinopathy has four stages:

# Mild nonproliferative retinopathy. At this earliest stage of diabetic retinopathy, microaneurysms occur. These are small areas of balloon-like swelling in the retina’s tiny blood vessels.

# Moderate nonproliferative retinopathy. As the diabetic retinopathy progresses, some blood vessels that nourish the retina are blocked.

# Severe nonproliferative retinopathy. In this stage of diabetic retinopathy, many more blood vessels are blocked, depriving several areas of the retina of blood. These areas of the retina send signals to the body to grow new blood vessels for nourishment.

# Proliferative retinopathy. At this advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy, the signals sent by the retina for nourishment trigger the growth of new blood vessels. This condition is called proliferative retinopathy. These new blood vessels are abnormal and fragile. They grow along the retina and along the surface of the clear, vitreous gel that fills the inside of the eye. By themselves, these blood vessels do not cause symptoms or vision loss. However, they have thin, fragile walls. If they leak blood, severe vision loss and even blindness can result.

Who’s at Risk?

What Is Diabetic Eye Disease? Treatment Options for Diabetic Retinopathy What Is a Vitrectomy? Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment: An Introduction Questions to Ask Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy

All people with diabetes — both type 1 and type 2 — are at risk for diabetic retinopathy. That’s why everyone with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year.

Between 40 percent to 45 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetic retinopathy, your doctor can recommend treatment to help prevent its progression.

During pregnancy, diabetic retinopathy may be a problem for women with diabetes. To protect vision, every pregnant woman with diabetes should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam as soon as possible. Your doctor may recommend additional exams during your pregnancy.

Diabetic Retinopathy and Vision Loss
Blood vessels damaged from diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss in two ways:

* Fragile, abnormal blood vessels can develop and leak blood into the center of the eye, blurring vision. This is proliferative retinopathy, the fourth (and most advanced stage) of the disease.

* Fluid can leak into the center of the macula, the part of the eye where sharp, straight-ahead vision occurs. The fluid makes the macula swell, blurring vision. This condition is called macular edema. It can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy, although it is more likely to occur as the disease progresses. About half of the people with proliferative retinopathy also have macular edema.