Diabetes and the eye

One very severe complication of diabetes mellitus affects the eyes. In cases of poorly controlled diabetes accompanied by high blood pressure, it may lead to damage of the retina.

The earliest changes are small microaneurysms and small hemorrhages that generally only need to be kept followed regularly. More serious complications may ensue, however.

Another very serious complication is the formation of new blood vessels originating from either the optic nerve head or from the retinal periphery (“proliferative diabetic retinopathy”) due to the shortage of oxygen in the retina. The new blood vessels are very fragile and may lead to bleeding in the vitreous humour. Uncontrolled growth of such vessels may also lead to retinal detachment.

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