It can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated. However, it usually takes several years for diabetic retinopathy to reach a stage where it could threaten your sight.
You might not have symptoms in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. As the condition progresses, you might develop: Spots or dark strings floating in your vision (floaters) Blurred vision.
Though most patients with diabetes suffer from a varying extent of vision impairment, only about 5% of them develop severe vision loss.
There is no cure for diabetic retinopathy. But treatment works very well to prevent, delay, or reduce vision loss. The sooner the condition is found, the easier it is to treat. And it's more likely that vision will be saved.
If you do develop diabetic retinopathy, early treatment can stop the damage and prevent blindness. If your eye doctor thinks you may have severe diabetic retinopathy or DME, they may do a test called a fluorescein angiogram. This test lets the doctor see pictures of the blood vessels in your retina.
Diabetes Can Lead to Leaky Retinal Blood Vessels, Sudden Blindness.
The final stage of Diabetic Retinopathy is Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy. At this point, the disease has advanced significantly and is very threatening to one's vision. Because of additional damage to the eye's blood vessels, there is worsening circulation inside the eye.
Stage four diabetic retinopathy is the most advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy, during which new blood vessels begin to grow on the retina. Unfortunately, these blood vessels are typically both weak and abnormal, which can lead to blood leaking into the eye, vision problems, and potentially blindness.
People with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes do have a heightened risk for eye complications and blindness. Sight loss with diabetes, however, is not inevitable.
You may see them more clearly when looking at a plain background, such as a blank wall. Floaters are actually tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous, the clear jelly-like fluid that fills the inside of your eye. Floaters can have different shapes, such as little dots, circles, lines, clouds or cobwebs.
Many people with diabetes have peripheral artery disease (PAD), which reduces blood flow to the feet. Also, many people with diabetes have neuropathy, causing you to not feel your feet. Together, these problems make it easy to get ulcers and infections that may lead to amputation.
Signs to Watch for with End-Stage Diabetes
Look for these signs of high blood sugar: Excessive thirst and increased urination. Unusual infections. Unexpected feelings of tiredness.
Of the 85 deceased diabetics in this series, the average lifespan after the onset of severe blindness due to diabetic retinopathy was 5.8 years. This suggests that the life expectancy of a diabetic is very poor after the onset of blindness due to severe retinopathy. 1.
To correct this kind of blurred vision, you need to get your blood sugar back into the target range. For many people this is from70 mg/dL to 130 mg/dL before meals and less than 180 mg/dL one to two hours after the start of a meal. Ask your doctor what your personal target range should be.
Damage caused by diabetic retinopathy is typically permanent. This condition isn't fully reversible, but some treatments may help bring some of your vision back. While treatments aren't likely to return your vision, your eye doctor can help prevent your vision from worsening.
Blurry vision and vision that gets worse over time are the main symptoms of macular edema. You may also notice that: Objects look wavy, especially when you look straight ahead. Objects look like they're different sizes if you look out of 1 eye and then the other.
You can reduce your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, or help stop it getting worse, by keeping your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. This can often be done by making healthy lifestyle choices, although some people will also need to take medication.
Dark, leafy greens such as kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, and collard and turnip greens have a lot of the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants help protect cells in your retina and, with vitamin E, may help you avoid cataracts, too. Broccoli, peas, corn, and eggs are also good sources.
You need to tell the DVLA if you have retinopathy or if you've had treatment for it, like laser treatment. That's because even after it's been treated you can still have some missing spots in your vision. If you've had maculopathy or have a scotoma (a blind spot in your field of vision).
Avoid soaking your feet, as this can lead to dry skin. Dry your feet gently, especially between the toes. Moisturize your feet and ankles with lotion or petroleum jelly. Do not put oils or creams between your toes — the extra moisture can lead to infection.
Diabetes are more prone to infection, and fungi and bacteria can transfer from clipping or foot care tools to any open wounds.
It can be an early sign of so-called "diabetic belly," a build-up of visceral fat in your abdomen which may be a symptom of type 2 diabetes and can increase your chances of developing other serious medical conditions.