Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that affects the eyes. Specifically, it damages the blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. This damage occurs because chronically high blood sugar levels can weaken and block these tiny blood vessels.

There are two main stages of diabetic retinopathy.

Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR): This is the earlier stage, where the blood vessels may swell and leak fluid or blood into the retina. This can lead to macular edema, which is swelling in the macula (the central part of the retina) and can cause blurred vision.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR): This is the more advanced stage. In PDR, the damaged blood vessels close off, and the retina tries to grow new, abnormal blood vessels. These new vessels are fragile and can bleed into the vitreous (the gel-like substance that fills the eye), causing severe vision loss or even blindness.

Early detection and careful management of blood sugar levels are crucial for preventing or slowing the progression of diabetic retinopathy.

You should know that Bellevue clinics have all the latest technologies available to diagnose and monitor diabetic retinopathy cases.