Diabetic retinopathy usually only requires specific treatment when it reaches an advanced stage and there’s a risk to your vision.
It’s typically offered if diabetic eye screening detects stage 3 (proliferative) retinopathy, or if you have symptoms caused by diabetic maculopathy.
At all stages, managing your diabetes is crucial.
Read about the stages of diabetic retinopathy for more information about what these terms mean.
Managing your diabetes
The most important part of your treatment is to keep your diabetes under control.
In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, controlling your diabetes can help prevent vision problems developing.
Symptoms of diabetes-related retinopathy
You might not have symptoms in the early stages of diabetes-related retinopathy. That’s because this condition doesn’t start causing vision changes until the damage is more severe or widespread throughout your retina.
Diabetes-related retinopathy symptoms can include:
- Blurred or distorted vision
- New color blindness or color vision changes (like colors looking faded or less vivid)
- Night blindness (nyctalopia)
- Eye floaters (myodesopsias) or streaks in your vision
- Blind spots (scotomas)
- Visual field defects
- Low vision and vision loss