What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

All diabetics should be monitored for diabetic retinopathy. The retina is the layer of cells on the back of the eye that converts light to electrical signals to send to your brain. The blood vessels of the retina are particularly susceptible to damage from diabetes. The blood vessels can start leaking blood and fluid that can swell the retina. If the blood supply to the retina is severely compromised, the retina will start forming new abnormal blood vessels that can easily bleed into the vitreous gel which can sometimes lead to fibrosis and retinal detachment. In other eyes these abnormal blood vessels could cause a severe glaucoma. All diabetics will be carefully examined and monitored to prevent these serious eye problems. Good communication with your primary medical physician will be done.