That is why it is so important for people with this disease to have a professional eye examination as soon as their diabetes is diagnosed, and at least once a year thereafter. Regular eye examinations are especially important for people who have had diabetes 5 years or longer, for those who have difficulty controlling the level of sugar in their blood, and for diabetic women who are pregnant. All of these people are at increased risk for diabetes-associated eye problems. Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially serious eye disease caused by diabetes. Damage to this delicate tissue may result in visual impairment or blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy begins with a slight deterioration in the small blood vessels of the retina.
Portions of the vessel walls balloon outward and fluid starts to leak from the vessels into the surrounding retinal tissue. Generally, these initial changes in the retina cause no visual symptoms. However, they can be detected by an eye specialist who is trained to recognize subtle signs of retinal disease. In many people with diabetic retinopathy, the disease remains mild and never causes visual problems. When critical areas of the macula become swollen with excess fluid, vision may be so badly blurred that these activities become difficult or impossible.