What are the symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy are: (1) History of diabetes requiring medications. (2) Difficulty seeing due to poor color or light contrast. (3) Color blindness or a recent change in color perception. (4) Eyes point in different directions i.e. squint or cross-eyes. (5) White area of the eyeball is puffy or swollen. (6) Blind spots or blind areas in vision. (7) Poor vision. (8) Habit of watching things with the head slanted. (9) History of diabetes or pre-diabetes. (10) Seeing jagged spots of light, like the teeth of a saw

Diabetic Retinopathy Quiz

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Reviewed By:

Ami Shah Vira, MD (Ophthalmology)

Dr. Shah Vira grew up in Arizona. She moved to Chicago to complete a combined engineering and medical program at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and Chicago Medical School. She completed a highly competitive two year dual fellowship in Neuro-ophthalmology and Oculoplastic at the highly regarded Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Shah Vira specializes in surgical correction of the eyelids and eyebrows, eyelid malposition and tumors, excessive tearing, and conditions involving the orbit.

Masashi Mimura, MD (Ophthalmology)

Dr. Mimura Graduated from the Osaka Medical College and obtained his ophthalmologist certification in 2007. He opened an outpatient clinic for oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery at Osaka Kaijo Hospital. Subsequently, he was appointed as the assistant professor at the Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka Medical College, in 2014. He then served an international fellowship at the Department of Ophthalmology/Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgery, California State University, San Diego. Since then, he has been appointed as Lecturer in the Departments of Ophthalmology at Osaka Medical College and Toho University Medical Center Sakura Hospital. Dr. Mimura is currently the Director of Oculofacial Clinic Osaka, where he specializes in Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

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Content updated on Mar 31, 2024

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What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that causes vision loss in patients with diabetes due to damage to the blood vessels in the retina. Your retina is a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of your eyes and is responsible for turning the light signals your eyes receive into images in your brain. These damaged vessels in the retina result in blurred vision or even vision loss.

Typical Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy

History of diabetes requiring medications
Difficulty seeing due to poor color or light contrast
Color blindness or a recent change in color perception
Eyes point in different directions i.e. squint or cross-eyes
White area of the eyeball is puffy or swollen
Blind spots or blind areas in vision
Poor vision
Habit of watching things with the head slanted

Doctor's Diagnostic Questionson Diabetic Retinopathy

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:

Have you ever been treated for diabetes?
Do you have color blindness or recent change in color perception?
Do your eyes squint or cross?
Is the white part of your eye puffy or swollen?
Are you experiencing any blind spots in your vision?

Treatmentof Diabetic Retinopathy

Treatment depends on the severity of the diabetic retinopathy. In milder cases, good control of blood sugar levels can be effective in improving vision in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Severe cases require medication injections or laser treatment to reduce swelling and improve vision.

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Diabetic Retinopathy

View the symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diseases related to Diabetic Retinopathy

References

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004269891730055X?via%3Dihub
Cheung N, Mitchell P, Wong TY. Diabetic retinopathy. Lancet. 2010 Jul 10;376(9735):124-36. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)62124-3. Epub 2010 Jun 26. PMID: 20580421.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)62124-3/fulltext
Kollias AN, Ulbig MW. Diabetic retinopathy: Early diagnosis and effective treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010 Feb;107(5):75-83; quiz 84. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2010.0075. Epub 2010 Feb 5. PMID: 20186318; PMCID: PMC2828250.
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/int/archive/article/67627
Moreno A, Lozano M, Salinas P. Diabetic retinopathy. Nutr Hosp. 2013 Mar;28 Suppl 2:53-6. doi: 10.3305/nh.2013.28.sup2.6714. PMID: 23834047.
http://www.nutricionhospitalaria.com/pdf/6714.pdf
Wilkinson CP, Ferris FL 3rd, Klein RE, Lee PP, Agardh CD, Davis M, Dills D, Kampik A, Pararajasegaram R, Verdaguer JT; Global Diabetic Retinopathy Project Group. Proposed international clinical diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema disease severity scales. Ophthalmology. 2003 Sep;110(9):1677-82. doi: 10.1016/S0161-6420(03)00475-5. PMID: 13129861.
https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(03)00475-5/fulltext