As diabetes spreads in Jordan and worldwide, diabetic retinopathy has become a leading cause of vision loss in adults. Worryingly, it can progress without symptoms until advanced stages. But regular screening and sugar control protect sight. The ClinicsJo Editorial Team offers this important guide for every person with diabetes.
What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?
The retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Chronic high blood sugar damages the tiny vessels that feed the retina, leaking fluid and blood and forming fragile new vessels. This damage can blur vision and lead to blindness if neglected.
Stages
- Non-proliferative: the early stage, with vessel weakness and leakage, often without symptoms.
- Proliferative: an advanced stage where fragile new vessels grow, may bleed, and cause retinal detachment.
- Diabetic macular edema: swelling at the retina center (macula) that directly affects sharpness.
Symptoms
There are often no early symptoms, but with progression there may be:
- Blurred, fluctuating vision.
- Dark spots or floating strings (floaters).
- Difficulty seeing colors.
- Empty or dark areas in the visual field.
- Sudden vision loss with bleeding.
Risk Factors
- Long duration of diabetes.
- Poor blood sugar control (high HbA1c).
- High blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Pregnancy in women with diabetes.
- Smoking.
Importance of Regular Eye Screening
Because the disease is silent early on, a regular dilated retinal exam is the most important way to detect it early. Every person with diabetes is advised to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year, even with normal vision.
Treatment
- Controlling sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol: the basis for slowing the disease.
- Anti-VEGF eye injections: highly effective for macular edema and proliferative disease.
- Laser: to seal leaking vessels and prevent new growth.
- Surgery (vitrectomy): for severe bleeding or retinal detachment.
Medical tip: good control of blood sugar and blood pressure is the strongest weapon to protect your sight from diabetes complications. Regular eye screening saves vision by detecting disease before symptoms appear.
Prevention
- Keep blood sugar on target and monitor HbA1c.
- Control blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Keep your annual eye exam.
- Quit smoking and exercise.
When to See a Doctor
See an ophthalmologist immediately for any sudden vision change, many new floaters, or dark spots. If you have diabetes, do not wait for symptoms — keep regular eye exams as part of your care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does retinopathy affect every person with diabetes?
Risk rises with longer duration and poor sugar control, but early screening and good control greatly reduce it.
Can lost vision be restored?
Treatment halts decline and protects remaining vision and may improve it in some cases, but early detection matters most.
If you have diabetes, book a regular eye exam with an ophthalmologist on ClinicsJo to protect your sight.
