Diabetic weakens the blood vessels of all the organs of the body. The delicate blood vessels of the retina, primarily affected the most. In the case of a diabetic patient the retinal veins and capillaries are affected and there is a gradual change is the structural layers of the retina which are unexpendable. This is called diabetic retinopathy which slowly leads to blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy advances slowly and it depends upon how long the person is suffering from diabetes. The causes and advancement of diabetic retinopathy depend upon:
1. High blood glucose in uncontrolled diabetes.
2. The length of time the person is suffering from diabetes.
3. High blood pressure.
4. Diabetic related kidney diseases.
5. Hyperlipidemia
6. Poor Eating habits- intake of excess fat or high calorie food.
5. Tobacco consumption in any form
6.Alcohol consumption
7. Pregnancy

 

Every diabetic patient has a chance of having retinopathy.' Good vision is not equivalent to a healthy eye' because there are no early symptoms in Diabetic retinopathy .Detailed retinal examination in a pharmacologically dilated pupil need to be done for the diagnosis of. Thus regular examination and treatment can control the deterioration in the eyesight.
Full examination of the eye is not only checking the need for glasses. For proper diagnosis and determination of the stage of the disease, eye examination needs to be done under ophthalmoscopes and slit lamps. Depending on the disease it is assessed which patient needs optical coherence tomography, ultrasonography or fundus fluorescein angiography.

In this technique the patient is injected with a dye (a colouring substance) in the vein present in the hand and the retina is photographed. Digitalized images are taken in an enlarged form. By this method the transformation of the thinnest arteries and veins can be determined. It helps in the detection of the stage of the disease and assessment of course of treatment .It also helps in understanding the result of previous treatment and their impact.