Diabetic Retinopathy

• Vitreous hemorrhage
• Retinal detachment
• Glaucoma
• Blindness

Over time, too much sugar in your blood can block tiny blood vessels of the retina, cutting off its blood supply.

As a result, new vessels grow, but they are fragile and eventually leaks leading to diabetic retinopathy.

There are two types of diabetic retinopathy:

• Early diabetic retinopathy. In this more common form — called nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) — new blood vessels aren't growing (proliferating).
• Advanced diabetic retinopathy-more severe type, known as proliferative diabetic retinopathy in which newly formed blood vessels leak.

• Manage your diabetes with proper blood sugar level monitoring.
• Glycosylated hemoglobin test, or hemoglobin A1C test, reflects your average blood sugar level for the two- to three-month period before the test. It should be under 7%.
• Keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control.
• Quit smoking.
• Pay attention to vision changes.

• Having diabetes for a long time or its poor control
• High blood pressure and cholesterol level
• Pregnancy
• Tobacco use