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Eye problems are just one of the many concerns anyone with diabetes is surely aware of. Diabetic retinopathy is serious in that it has a direct effect on your vision. What happens is the diabetes causes damage to the retina. But to understand how and what can be done to prevent it, you first need to understand the retina itself.

Without getting into too much detail, you can think of the retina as a group of nerves in the back of your eyeball. They are like your eye’s camera, giving your brain a look at what you are seeing. What retinopahty does is cause problems with this simple process.

Blood vessels in the retina are sensitive, and can split. If this happens, fluid from those vessels drip into the eye’s compound. And that’s when the problems begin.

The first thing you’ll notice is what seems like an obstruction in your vision. Over time, scar tissue develops both in and around your eyeball. And finally, the retina will actually detach from where it normally sits.

In diabetics this is more likely to happen because elevated blood sugar levels can trigger the problem. And what makes this worse is that it is normal not to have any symptoms until the problem reaches the severe stage. The end result is that by the time you realize you have a problem, it can be too late to fully correct it. Diabetic especially need to go to the eye doctor a minimum of once a year. By doing so the problem can be caught early enough to make correcting it much easier.

Also be aware of any symptoms that may occur between scheduled visits. Some people notice floaters, which are nothing more than black or white spots that appear for no reason. Double vision, weak vision or blurry vision can also be signs of diabetic retinopathy. Take these symptoms seriously, even if they appear to be extremely mild. Contact your eye doctor immediately if any of these things should happen.

Catch it early enough and there are several good treatments available. Options include prescription medications, laser surgery or a more invasive surgery. Discuss each of these options with your doctor to determine the best choice for you.

But again, don’t wait until you have symptoms. Have your eyes checked regularly. Then your doctor can begin any treatment for your diabetic retinopathy before the problem becomes too severe.