How does diabetes affect my eyes?

Diabetes makes your blood sugar level higher than normal. High blood sugar levels can weaken your blood vessels, including the small blood vessels in the retina. (The retina is the part of the eye that's sensitive to light and helps you see.) This damage is called diabetic retinopathy.

When the blood vessels in the eye are weak, they can leak fluid, which causes swelling in the eye. The swelling blurs your vision. If the retinopathy gets worse, your eye makes new blood vessels over the retina. But these new blood vessels are very weak and break open easily, which causes bleeding into the eye. Scar tissue can form, which may make the retina break away from the back of the eye.

Is diabetic retinopathy serious?

When retinopathy is found early, before it has done too much damage, it can be treated or slowed with laser treatment. If it's not treated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness.

How should I take care of my eyes?

The main thing is to have your eyes examined regularly. You won't notice the early signs of diabetic retinopathy because these changes in your eyes can only be seen with special equipment.

Eye exams are especially important if you're pregnant. Pregnancy can cause you to start developing diabetic retinopathy or can make it worse.

What else can I do?

Watch for warning signs of eye problems. Call your doctor if you notice any of the signs in the box below:

You can also help prevent eye problems (and other health problems) by taking care of yourself and keeping your blood sugar level low. See the tips in the box below: