Eye Damage (Retinopathy)
Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina, the light sensitive lining at the back of the eyeball. Once the vision starts to be affected then the retinopathy is far advanced, and the only way to see changes is a careful eye examination by an experienced ophthalmologist. The early changes of eye damage is called background retinopathy, were you have swellings of the blood vessels, causing leaking and bleeding. Everyone with type 1 diabetes will develop a small amount of background retinopathy after having the disease for 15 - 20 years. In the later stage of retinopathy called proliferate retinopathy, the eye begins to make new blood vessels to provide better blood flow. But these new vessels are very fragile which may cause bleeding in the fluid chambers in front of the retina. This effect is a major cause of partial or even complete loss of sight. Reducing the risk of blindness in people with diabetes is using photo coagulation, which is a laser therapy technique that prevents blindness. This destroys the abnormal blood vessels, and repairs the leak, stopping new ones from forming. If the retina has bled too much or even become detached then surgery is needed.
