Any diabetic must include regular check-ups on their eye health—preferably by a ophthalmologist specialising in retina pathologies—as part of the care of their disease, since diabetic retinopathy is the most common ophthalmic manifestation caused by the complications appearing in the microcirculation of our blood.
The initial lesions in the retina go unnoticed by the patient, as very often there aren't any symptoms. If the disease affects the macula (central part of the retina) or if there are intraocular haemorrhages, the patient will have blurred vision or see dark moving spots.
Technological advances in early diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment of diabetic retinopathy enable the prevention of very severe complications of the disease and a loss of vision in the majority of cases.