How does diabetic retinopathy cause visual loss?
The most common cause of decreased vision among diabetics is retinal swelling, also known as macular edema. Damaged vessels may become abnormally leaky allowing watery fluid to leak into the retina making it swollen. If this swelling affects the central retina (the macula), vision may become blurred. Visual loss may also occur secondary to the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye (neovascularization). Neovascularization may bleed filling the inside of the eye with blood (vitreous hemorrhage). Neovascularization may also contract, pulling the retina out of place (traction retinal detachment). How is retinal swelling treated? If swelling affects or threatens the central vision, focal laser treatment is usually indicated. During focal laser treatment, very small spots of laser (< 1/5 mm) are used to seal leaky blood vessels in an attempt to reduce swelling. Laser treatment reduces the chance of future vision loss by 50%. Keeping blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol under good con
