Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic Retinopathy is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that damages the eye's retina. It occurs when diabetes damages blood vessels on the retina at the back of the eye. Vision loss happens when these damaged vessels leak fluid. It can also occur when fragile new vessels grow and then bleed into the vitreous (the clear gel that fills the inside of the eye). It affects half of the 14 million Americans with diabetes.
In later stages, the disease may lead to new blood vessel growth over the retina. The new blood vessels can cause scar tissue to develop, which can pull the retina away from the back of the eye. This is known as retinal detachment, and it can lead to blindness if untreated. In addition, abnormal blood vessels can grow on the iris, which can lead to glaucoma.
