Signs & Symptoms of Diabetic Eye Disease

Diabetic eye disease refers to any eye problems that people with diabetes are likely to face because of their diabetes. The most common among diabetic eye diseases is diabetic retinopathy caused by changes in the blood vessels around the retina.

Impact

• According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in American adults.

Signs

• Signs of diabetic retinopathy include floaters, difficulty reading or doing other up-close work and double vision. Blurred vision up close could mean a macula edema, or fluid buildup in the center of the retina.

Early Stages

• Mild nonproliferative retinopathy and moderate nonproliferative retinopathy are the earlier stages of the disease. Blood vessels in the retina start to swell and then become blocked.

Late Stages

• Later stages are severe nonproliferative retinopathy and proliferative retinopathy. More blood vessels are blocked and new blood vessels are made for retina nourishment. The new blood vessels are abnormal and break easily, leading to vision loss and blindness.

Warning

• Symptoms rarely show up in the earlier stages. Also, there is also no pain, so a yearly eye exam is important for early detection. If any of the symptoms---blurred vision, floaters, double vision---appears, see an eye doctor right away.