What is diabetes-related retinopathy?

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What is diabetes-related retinopathy?

Diabetes-related retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes. It’s one of the leading causes of blindness in adults in the U.S.

Diabetes-related retinopathy is a disease in which there’s ongoing damage to blood vessels in the retina due to long-term uncontrolled high sugar (glucose) levels in your blood. Your retina is the light-sensitive tissue in your eye that is needed for clear vision. Most people with diabetes-related retinopathy show no vision changes until the disease is severe. In others, symptoms come and go.

Symptoms include:

  • Blurred or distorted vision.
  • New color blindness or seeing colors as faded.
  • Poor night vision.
  • Small dark spots or streaks in your vision.
  • Trouble reading or seeing faraway objects.

Treatments include injections of a specific type of medication and surgery that addresses repairing or shrinking blood vessels in the retina.

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