What Is Diabetic Retinopathy

Individuals with diabetes may experience eye disease and even blindness as a complication of diabetes. Eye diseases associated with diabetes include Glaucoma, Cataracts, and Diabetic Retinopathy.

Understanding Diabetic Retinopathy

The leading cause for blindness in adult Americans, Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease associated with diabetes. Damage to the blood vessels in the retina occurs, affecting the light sensitive tissue located in the back part of the eye. The blood vessels may swell, leak fluid, and new abnormal blood vessels may develop. Commonly diabetic retinopathy affects both eyes and may go unnoticed in the early stage. Developing in 4 stages, diabetic retinopathy, over time will cause vision loss as the condition worsens.

4 Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy

1. Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy: In the early stage of diabetic retinopathy, swelling begins to occur in the retinas tiny blood vessels. These balloon like swelling vessels are called  microaneurysms.
2. Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy: With the swelling of blood vessels  (microaneurysms), the blood vessels responsible for nourishing the retina may be compromised, blocking the necessary blood flow to the retina.
3. Severe Nonproliferative Retinopathy: Increasing the number of blocked, swelling blood vessels, the retina suffers from the increased loss of nourishing blood supply. This increased loss of nourishing blood supply is conveyed to the body, sending the alert to begin to grow new blood vessels to help nourish the retina.
4. Proliferative Retinopathy: The advance stage of diabetic retinopathy occurs when the retina has conveyed the signal for the body to develop new blood vessels. In this final stage of diabetic retinopathy, these new blood vessels begin to develop. Fragile and new, the blood vessels form along the surface of the clear gel, which fills the inside of the eye. Alone, the forming of these  abnormal blood vessels is not the cause for loss of vision. Vision is lost due to the weak blood vessel walls allowing the blood and fluid to leak into the eye, resulting in severe vision loss or blindness.

Vision Loss Due to Diabetic Retinopathy

In the fourth and final stage of diabetic retinopathy, when abnormal blood vessels have developed, the leaking of blood and fluid from the newly formed blood vessel causes the loss of vision. The leakage may occur in the center of the eye or it may occur in the center of the macula. As the macula is responsible to sharp, straight‐ ahead vision, this leaking of blood will cause blurring of vision. This particular condition is called macular edema and effects about 50% of individuals with proliferative retinopathy.