Diabetic retinopathy: what are the symptoms of this disease that causes blindness?

In a press kit, Unadev (National Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired) announces launch of a national awareness and screening campaign concerning the 4 main blinding diseases which are AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration), glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy.

“While the majority of French people have the feeling of having healthy eyes, they do, however, seem to lack guidelines regarding the prevention of visual impairment. and ignore blinding diseases”, first justifies the patient association.

Diabetic retinopathy: what are the symptoms?

The institution continues its press release by providing more precise information on what diabetic retinopathy is.

Let’s start with the symptoms. “At first, the disease develops silently and vision is usually not changed”, indicates Unadev. “When diabetic retinopathy progresses, symptoms can appear in central vision and then lead to a significant decline in vision,” she adds. “Concretely, vision becomes blurry and tasks can partially or completely obstruct it,” she indicates.

“When it is advanced, diabetic retinopathy is a very disabling disease which can lead to serious and irremediable vision problems”, she emphasizes.

Diabetic retinopathy: cause and incidence

Let’s continue with the cause of diabetic retinopathy and its incidence. In France, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness before the age of 65. It is also the most common ocular complication linked to diabetes: it affects 50% of type 2 diabetic patients and 80% of type 1 diabetic patients after 15 years of disease progression.

“Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of poorly controlled diabetes, because excess sugar in the blood weakens the small blood vessels of the retina”completes Unadev.

Diabetic retinopathy: what are the risk factors?

Concerning this time the risk factors for diabetic retinopathy, the press kit lists hyperglycemia (excess sugar in the blood), hypercholesterolemia (excess fat in the blood), obesity, high blood pressure, tobacco consumption and sedentary lifestyle.

Diabetic retinopathy: treatment and prevention

Let’s end with possible treatments for diabetic retinopathy and a point on prevention. “Depending on the stage, different treatments are possible to limit the progression of the disease, even if laser is the most frequently used,” indicates Unadev.

To detect diabetic retinopathy at an early stage and treat it if necessary, a regular check-up visit to an ophthalmologist is essential. “It is recommended for diabetic people to go there at least every year. Continued monitoring remains essential after the age of 65, even in the absence of symptoms or difficulty reading/looking into the distance,” ends the patient association.

“More generally, it is important to report the appearance of any unusual signs to your doctor,” she concludes.