WHAT IS DIABETIC RETINOPATHY?

Diabetes can affect your health in many different ways, including your visual health. Diabetic Retinopathy, a retinal disease involving the eye’s blood vessels, is one, primary example.

Diabetic Retinopathy begins when blood vessels along the retina grow weak. As a result, blood leaks from the vessels, causing blurry vision. In an attempt to compensate, your body will create new blood vessels. However, these vessels often prove to be weak as well, and cause even more blood leakage in the eye. In time, scar tissue may form, prompting the retina to move away from the eye and leading to legal blindness.

Without treatment, Diabetic Retinopathy can worsen, especially when diabetes are not under control. In fact, Diabetic Retinopathy can affect the eyes long before symptoms are experienced. For this reason, if you have diabetes, it is essential to have your eyes checked regularly.