Diabetes affects many people and interferes with the body s ability to use and store sugar. This can have an affect on many parts of the body, including the eye. In the eye, diabetes can cause diabetic retinopathy due to weakening of the small blood vessels that serve the light-sensitive portion of the back of your eye. This weakening may cause the blood vessels to leak, enlarge, or develop brush-like branches. In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy may produce blurry or unstable vision.
Further progression leads to blind spots, floaters, or cloudy vision.
It is also possible not to have any visual symptoms of diabetic retinopathy early in the disease. An optometrist can look inside your eye for signs of diabetic retinopathy. If found, laser and other surgical treatments can be used to reduce its progression and decrease the risk of vision loss. Your optometrist can discuss the different treatments available and decide which is appropriate for you. If you are diabetic, you are at a high risk of getting diabetic retinopathy.