April 2nd, 2010 
Peter Charalambos What is diabetic eye disease?
This information was developed by the National Eye Institute to help patients and their families search for general information about diabetic retin
opathy. An eye care professional who has examined the patient’s eyes and is familiar with his or her medical history is the best person to answer specific questions.
Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of diabetes. All can cause severe vision loss or even blindness.
Diabetic eye disease may include:
Diabetic retinopathy-damage to the blood vessels in the retina
Cataract-clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataracts develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes.
Glaucoma-increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision. A person with diabetes is nearly twice as likely to get glaucoma as other adults.
What is diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina.
In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on….Read the full article
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