Diabetes can affect the eye in many ways, and damage often occurs in the retina.
Diabetic retinopathy refers to any kind of retinal damage caused by diabetes including bleeding, abnormal vessel growth and fluid leakage. The retina, located at the back of the eye, is comprised of nerves that sense light and send images to the brain. When retinal blood vessels are damaged, they may leak fluid or blood, and may also develop abnormal vessels and scar tissue. These changes in the retina can cause blurred, distorted or obscured vision. Sight is generally not affected at this stage.