The retina is the light sensitive nerve layer at the back of the eye. High blood sugar can damage blood vessels in the retina, which may swell and leak. The damage to retina vessels leading to swelling and exudates in retina is referred to a Diabetic retinopathy.
In early stages of Diabetic retinopathy, you might have blurred vision. Most people do not notice any significant changes in vision or any discomfort in the initial stages. In later stages, you develop cloudy vision, floaters and flashes of light. Never assume that good vision means all is well in the retina. Macula is the part of retina which let us see clearly when lipids and fluid leak onto the macula, the vision gets blurred. This condition is called as Macular Edema. If new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina, they can bleed into the eye.
The treatment can be laser which has been proven to reduce the risk of severe vision loss by about 60%. Laser is a procedure in which a strong beam is aimed onto the retina to shrink the abnormal blood vessels. Laser may also be used in cases of macular edema where the leaking of blood vessels is sealed by the laser beam.
However surgery can be used in advanced stages when Laser has no role.Sometimes intravitreal injections are also helpful in certain cases to prevent further damage
It starts with blurred vision, causing problems while reading or driving. Gradually if the blood vessels leak, it feels like black spots which may or may not go away.