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Step 1
Understand the risks: People with either insulin- or non-insulin-dependent diabetes can develop retinopathy—with the early stages of the disease appearing as soon as five years after diabetes is diagnosed. Retinopathy occurs when new small, fragile blood vessels proliferate in the retina—the thin membrane lining the back of the eye that is essential for sight—and rupture. The retina has the ability to clean up the hemorrhage, but the repair causes scarring. This starts cycle of more bleeding, more scarring, and eventually, vision loss.
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Step 2
Take action to prevent retinopathy: Talk to your doctor about getting screened for diabetes, especially if it runs in your family, or you are overweight. Early diabetes may not cause any symptoms.
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Step 3
Get an annual eye exam. Many people first learn they have the disease when their ophthalmologist discovers signs of retinopathy.
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Step 4
Control existing diabetes: If you already have diabetes, controlling your blood sugars can ward off retinopathy. Follow your physician’s recommendations for diet, exercise, and insulin or other glucose-lowering drugs. If retinopathy has already developed, getting your blood sugars under tight control can slow its progress.
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Step 5
Know the symptoms: People usually do not have any symptoms early in the course of retinopathy. Small hemorrhages are painless and do not affect sight, but a large hemorrhage can cause “strings” or spiderweb-like structures to appear in a diabetic person’s field of vision. Over a period of years, as the retina becomes increasingly damaged, vision becomes blurred and blindness may be the end result.
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Step 6
Get treatment if necessary. A laser surgery called photocoagulation can be used to obliterate any hemorrhages or abnormal blood vessels on the retina. The surgery usually is done by an ophthalmologist.
