Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetes eye disease and the leading cause of blindness in American adults, in Canada there are 500,000 people affected by the disease. Diabetes Canada and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society have partnered to help educate people with diabetes about retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy occurs because of damage to the retinal vessels that occur in long-term diabetes. People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at risk for this condition. However many people with early diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms before major bleeding occurs in the eye. This is why everyone with diabetes should have regular eye exams. As a preventive development of diabetic retinopathy, diabetics should control blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol.
Diabetic Retinopathy Symptoms
Blurred vision and loss of vision over time, Floaters, Shadows or lost vision field, Difficulty seeing at night
Treatment
Although not reversing the damage that has occurred treatment can help prevent the disease becomes worse. Once your eye doctor sees new blood vessels growing in your retina (neovascularization) or you develop macular edema, treatment is usually necessary.
Some procedure or surgery is the main treatment for diabetic retinopathy.
Laser eye surgery causes small burns in the retina where there are abnormal blood vessels. This process is called photocoagulation. This is used to keep the ship from leaking or getting rid of abnormal and fragile vessels.