Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is an underlying condition that arises due to diabetes that can seriously affect a person’s vision and eye health. Diabetic retinopathy is actually a complication of diabetes mellitus that appears due to the damage of the blood vessels located at the back of the eye that usually comprises light-sensitive tissues of retina. At first, the condition of diabetic retinopathy might result in causing no symptoms at all or very mild vision issues but it can lead to the development of blindness.
The condition might arise in anyone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer a person has diabetes and the less they control their blood sugar levels, the more likely they are to develop the eye complication of diabetic retinopathy. People having diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy which occurs due to a severe damage in the retinal blood vessels as a result of high blood sugar levels. Therefore, the blood vessels in the retina can inflame and leak or they might constrict and stop the blood flow.
However, sometimes there is an abnormal growth of new blood vessels in the retina which can cause severe changes to the eye and consequently steal a person’s vision in the longer run. The symptoms of diabetic retinopathy do not appear in the earlier stages of the condition so it is essential to get a regular eye exam if you are suffering from any type of diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy can result in blindness and vision loss in severe cases of diabetic patients so early detection might be helpful to protect your vision.