Anyone with diabetes is at an increased risk for also getting the condition known as diabetic retinopathy. This condition can seriously affect a diabetic's vision to the point of causing blindness. It is treatable but needs to be detected before it causes irreversible damage to the eyes.

Diabetic retinopathy is a common condition for those with diabetes and will affect nearly everyone with type 1 diabetes and nearly 60% of those with type 2 diabetes. This disease occurs when the blood vessels in the retina are damaged by the affects of diabetes. As the damage increases vision problems will begin to appear. If left untreated temporary or even permanent blindness will result.

Most diseases and medical conditions will have warning signs that something is wrong before they become more serious. Unfortunately diabetic retinopathy is not one of these types of diseases. There are no early symptoms or warning signs that someone can point to that warns they may be suffering from this condition. For many diabetics it will sneak up on them and damage their sight before they even knew it may be a problem, even though it may have been slowly damaging their eyes over a long period of time.

While diabetic retinopathy is a serious condition there is a way for the diabetic person to keep their eye sight in good condition. By undergoing regular eye exams this condition can be caught and treated before it does irreversible harm to ones eye sight. The only reason that this disease should ever sneak up on anyone and appear out of nowhere is the lack of yearly eye exams. It is up to the individual to take the preservation of their eye sight into the own hands and avoid the complications that retinopathy can cause.

The reason it is important to get regular eye exams is it diabetic retinopathy is caught in its early stages it is treatable. It can be treated using laser photocoagulation surgery with very good results. Unfortunately if it is not caught soon enough the damage may be to great for any form of laser surgery to correct.

Diabetic retinopathy can be a scary disease for any diabetic to deal with. By taking the proper steps to diagnose this sight stealing disease in its early stages chances of effectively treating it are greatest.