Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common diabetes complications that affects eyes. It's caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina), according to the Mayo Clinic.
November is diabetic eye disease awareness month, which is designed to help bring awareness to the eye issues that can develop with diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy usually has no early warning signs. It can be detected only through a comprehensive eye examination that looks for early signs of the disease.
At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. Eventually, it can cause blindness. This is why it's so important to spread awareness in your community.
The condition can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop this eye complication.
For a full overview of diabetic retinopathy, click here.