Diabetic retinopathy can be silent.

April 16, 2026 · 2 min read

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that damages the small blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Those vessels can swell, leak, close off, or—in advanced stages—be replaced by fragile new vessels that may bleed.

The difficult part: early damage may not be felt

Vision can seem completely normal while diabetic retinopathy is developing. Blurred vision, floaters, trouble seeing at night, or vision loss may not appear until the disease has progressed. That is why eye screening is so important: it lets us find changes before they threaten sight.

Who is at risk?

Anyone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy. Risk generally rises with the duration of diabetes and may be increased by high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pregnancy, or tobacco use.

Why a dilated exam matters

A comprehensive dilated eye exam lets Dr. Anklin look directly at the retina for early changes such as tiny vessel leaks or swelling. Finding changes early gives your medical and eye-care teams time to coordinate care and discuss appropriate next steps.

The bottom line

Diabetic retinopathy is often treatable when it is caught early, but it can be quiet at first. If you have diabetes and have not had an eye exam in the past year, make eye care part of your regular health routine.

Schedule diabetic eye care