Diabetic Retinopathy is the medical term for a common  diabetes eye problem and is the leading cause of blindness in American  adults. It damages the blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive nerve tissue in your eye that sends visual images to your brain.

Blurred vision or temporary blindness can occur when blood vessels weaken, bulge and leak fluid into surrounding tissue, causing swelling - a condition called macular edema. Abnormal new blood vessels grow on the retina, where they can bleed into the eye and block vision.

As the disease progresses, the retina can detach from the eye, resulting in permanent blindness. But irreversible vision loss can be prevented with early detection and treatment. This is just one of the reasons it is so important to have your eyes checked on a regular basis. In addition, we will look for any symptoms of eye disease.

Retina damage happens slowly. Your retinas have tiny blood vessels that are easy to damage. Having high blood glucose and high blood pressure for a long time can damage these tiny blood vessels.

First, these tiny blood vessels swell and weaken. Some blood vessels then become clogged and do not let enough blood through. At first, you might not have any loss of sight from these changes. This is why you need to have an eye exam once a year even if your sight seems fine. One of your eyes may be damaged more than the other. Or both eyes may have the same amount of damage.