Diabetic Eye Disease

Regular eye screening for diabetic patients is very important as the blood vessels to the eyes in diabetes are particularly prone to damage caused by pressure differences resulting from changes in blood sugar levels. Diabetes can lead to various degrees of eye disease (Diabetic Retinopathy), which is the most common cause of partial or total blindness in the western world. As senior Consultant Ophthalmic specialist, Miss Susanne Althauser explains, Diabetic Retinopathy can lead to swelling in the centre of the eye through leaking blood vessels (macular oedema), the production of faulty new blood vessels leading to bleeding in the eye, and detachment of the retina.