Diabetic Retinopathy

Have diabetes?

Experiencing changes in vision, such as blurriness and eye floaters?

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of vision loss around the world. Of an estimated 285 million people with diabetes mellitus worldwide, approximately one-third have signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Fortunately, there are several steps people with diabetes can take to prevent or minimize vision loss.

Blood sugar level check

What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

noraml eye and an eye with diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease caused by high blood sugar levels that damage the small blood vessels clustered within your retina. This leads to swelling or fluid leakage and can result in vision loss and even blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy also raises the risk of retinal detachment and/or glaucoma.

Because the early stages of diabetic retinopathy show no symptoms, many don't realize they have it until the disease has progressed.

If you have diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. To reduce your risk and protect your vision, schedule an eye exam with Comprehensive Eye Care - Centerville today.

What Are the Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?

diabetic-retinopothy-oct-scan

As mentioned above, the early phase of diabetic retinopathy typically shows no symptoms. This is why it's important to have routine eye exams (all the more so if you have diabetes), as your eye doctor can detect diabetic retinopathy in its earlier stages before symptoms become apparent.

Symptoms of proliferative diabetic retinopathy include:

Blurred vision
Floaters
Double vision
Near vision problems
Seeing dark spots (scotomas)
Difficulty seeing at night

What are the Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Non-Proliferative Retinopathy (early stage):
This occurs when small bulges–or microaneurysms–form in blood vessels and can leak fluid into the retina.

Proliferative Retinopathy (later phase):
This refers to abnormal vessel growth and leakage in the retina. This triggers a variety of vision problems such as blurriness, reduced field of vision, and even blindness.

If you have diabetes, Comprehensive Eye Care - Centerville in Centerville offers diagnostic tests and treatment options to help preserve your vision. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the treatment outcome.

Diabetic-Retinopathy-Bllod-sugar-level-checker

How Optometrists Diagnose Diabetic Retinopathy

Medical history

Your optometrist will ask about your medical history, including diabetes, as well as your family history of eye conditions.
Dilated pupil exam

Your optometrist will apply eye drops to dilate the pupils so they can see inside the eye and detect any issues.
Fluorescein angiography

This eye test uses a special dye and camera to look at blood flow in the retina and choroid.
Optical coherence tomography

This imaging method shows a cross-section of the retina and can indicate whether vessels are leaking fluid into the retina.

How to Treat Diabetic Retinopathy

senior man with diabetic retinopathy

Treatment begins with managing blood sugar levels and diabetes. This means eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and taking whatever diabetes medication has been prescribed.

Other treatments will depend on the stage or severity of the disease. If caught early, only blood sugar management may be necessary.

However, if you're in a more advanced stage of the diseases, treatment options may include:

Eye medications. Steroid and Anti-VEGF treatments can stop inflammation and prevent the formation of new blood vessels.
Laser surgery. Reduces the proliferation of abnormal blood vessels and swelling in the retina.
Vitrectomy. If you have proliferative diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye surgery called vitrectomy. This procedure removes scar tissue, blood or fluid, and some of the vitreous gel so light rays can better focus on the retina.

Diabetic Retinopathy FAQs

What are the major risk factors for diabetic retinopathy?

As the name suggests, diabetes is the main risk factor for developing diabetic retinopathy. Be mindful of your family history of type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, get an annual eye exam to detect potential problems early.

Other conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol are also risk factors. Moreover, those of African or Hispanic descent have a higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Can diabetic retinopathy be prevented?

There are a number of ways to preserve your vision and reduce the risk of vision and eye damage due to diabetic retinopathy.

Visit your eye doctor for annual eye exams.
Control your blood sugar levels.
Maintain healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Exercise regularly.
Quit smoking.

The best thing you can do right now is to schedule your eye exam with Comprehensive Eye Care - Centerville in Centerville to ensure that everything is in check.

Does diabetic retinopathy cause blindness?

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness among work-aged adults. It affects one in three people with diabetes and often goes unnoticed at first. Diagnosing and treating the condition early on can prevent severe vision loss.

Patient Reviews

4.7

114 Reviews

5

4

3

2

1

- Nov. 26, 2025

I am very grateful for Dr. O'Neill and the staff at Comprehensive EyeCare. I have not seen this clea... Show Morerly in years and I am constantly noticing details around me that were previously lost in haze. My first day wearing my trial contact lenses, I was stunned that Dr. O'Neill was able to dial-in my prescription so precisely. I honestly didn’t think it was possible for my vision to be this sharp and functional. I had not been to the optometrist in several years. Around 8 years ago, my optometrist had so harshly overcorrected my vision, reading and writing at a normal arms length’s distance was impossible. When I told to this to my optometrist, I was told to get a pair of readers. It did not make any sense for me to wear readers while doing office work only to take them off to drive home and then put the readers back on when doing work at home. This would have required me to somehow to put readers on top of my new glasses, which were the same prescription. When I explained my frustration. My optometrist just shrugged and repeated, “You need readers”. I just wore my old pair of glasses for a year. My next optometrist took one look at my prescription and diagnosed the overcorrection. I had a couple of blissful years of clear vision and productivity, until I lost my insurance. The treatment at the front desk became more terse. My optometrist’s “small talk” began to veer into the “freeloaders leeching off society are destroying this country” direction. I got the message and moved on. I found another optometrist. I made an appointment for three months in the future and I felt lucky to get it. On the morning of the appointment, a staffer called me and told me that my insurance was not accepted (even though it had be listed and accepted as an option in the on-line booking process). The staffer then informed me that if I wanted to get my eyes checked, I could pay $300 out of pocket, or I could go elsewhere. Honestly, I was not expecting much when I made the appointment with Dr. O'Neill. After being treated as a burdensome obligation by my previous eye care establishment, it felt a little unusual to be treated in a decent and professional manner. I was able to get some excellent contact lenses, and thanks to some extra work by Ms. C., who managed to find me extra savings, a fantastic pair of glasses.