Diabetic Retinopathy Symptoms

Diabetic retinopathy symptoms may not be noticeable until the later stages of the disease.

Diabetic retinopathy is a common eye condition related to diabetes, which results from damage to blood vessels in the retina. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can severely impair your vision and may lead to associated conditions, including macular edema, or even blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy symptoms

Diabetic retinopathy is not painful. In fact, many people experience no diabetic retinopathy symptoms in the early stages of the disease. However, some diabetic retinopathy signs that may appear as the condition progresses include:

• Blind spots
• Blurred, hazy or fluctuating vision
• Floaters (moving spots) or flashes
• Changes in your color perception

If you are diabetic and experience any of these symptoms, please seek immediate medical attention.

The importance of an early diagnosis

It’s important not to wait for diabetic retinopathy signs. If you have diabetes, you should see your Henry Ford ophthalmologist once a year for a comprehensive eye exam. The good news is that diabetic retinopathy can be treated, and vision loss can be prevented if the disease is diagnosed early enough.

At Henry Ford, patients come first.

The Henry Ford Department of Ophthalmology is committed to providing our patients with compassionate, personalized care. We feature the most advanced treatments in eye care and are dedicated to vision research – always staying at the forefront of innovation. A leader in Michigan, as well as one of the largest ophthalmology practices in the United States, we treat more than 55,000 patients per year at 12 locations throughout southeast Michigan. In addition, our team works closely with Henry Ford Medical Group physicians in other departments, providing multidisciplinary, coordinated care for those patients who need it.