You’ve been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy — now what?
Over time, high blood sugar can damage small blood vessels in the retina, leading to vision changes or even vision loss.
Find an ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in eye care. You can find in-network providers on www.AvMed.org.
Schedule an exam
Your doctor will screen you to see what stage of retinopathy you have. There are two stages:
- Early stage, or nonproliferative retinopathy
- Advanced stage, or proliferative retinopathy
“If a patient only has mild damage, we may have them continue with yearly eye examinations,” says Dr. Purnima Patel. But for those with progressed retinopathy, “we may need to see them sooner.”
Medications Your Way
Consider your treatment options
At a certain point, you may need treatment. The most common ones are:
- Injections of medications called anti-VEGF drugs
- Lasers that shrink blood vessels and stop leakage
- Vitrectomy, or eye surgery to remove the vitreous from your eye and replace it with a saline solution
These treatments slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy, but they don’t reverse vision loss.
Focus on managing your diabetes
Work with your primary care doctor to take care of your diabetes. Good sugar control may even bring back some of your vision.
