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Diabetic Retinopathy: Diabetes-related eye complications are very common. It is the leading cause of
blindness and vision problem now. If left untreated, they lead to the deterioration of vision and
ultimately blindness.

Diabetic Retinopathy is caused by damage to the small blood vessels of the retina in the back of the eye.
The small vessels can be damaged by high blood glucose and high blood pressure. Thus an individual
who suffers from hypertension is at a higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy than those who have
a normal blood pressure. The high blood glucose levels hinder the flow of blood, and thus oxygen, to the
cells of retina. This hinders the working of retina and thus leads to improper vision. The early stage of
this disease is called non- proliferate diabetic retinopathy, characterized by the development of
occasional small blisters caused by enlarged capillaries and small hemorrhages on the surface of the
retina. Moderately severe to very severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy is also known as pre-
proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The blurred and distorted vision is because of macular edema.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is the advanced form of diabetic retinopathy; the new blood vessels
break, as they are weak and leak blood into clear gel of the eye, which will lead to floating spots in the
eye, blocking vision. The pace of damage is not similar in both the eyes but, both the eyes are affected
by this disease. Some times one eye is affected more easily than other. After some period, the swollen
and scar nerve tissue of the retina is totally destroyed and pulls up the entire layer of retina and
detaches it from the back of the eye. Retinal detachment is the cause behind blindness among diabetics
in middle age. A diabetic must go for the regular eye checkup so that the early stages of diabetic
retinopathy can be detected and treated in initial stages itself, with less harm to the eyes. Blood sugar
levels should also be monitored and maintained to prevent blood vessel damage.




There is no pharmaceutical therapy available at present that stops the progression of diabetic
retinopathy by treating the underlying process of micro vascular damage. Current treatment options
(generally reserved for late stage pre-proliferative and proliferative diabetic retinopathy and sight-
threatening diabetic macular oedema) include two different forms of laser surgery. Laser therapy seals
the leaking blood vessels in the macula, slowing the swelling that causes impaired vision. This procedure
does not improve blurred vision but it can prevent it from worsening. While laser surgery can usually
prevent vision from deteriorating, in most cases it cannot restore vision that has already been lost