These blood vessels tend to leak, break, and get into trouble--so much trouble that diabetic retinal problems are a leading cause of blindness. Careful control of the blood sugar greatly reduces the risk of such complications.
In the early stages, these retinal problems do not affect the vision. Yet that is the ideal time to discover and treat them, using a laser if needed. To find and treat diabetic eye problems early, everyone with diabetes needs to have a dilated-pupil examination each year.
