What is diabetic retinopathy?
- Part of the eye
- Retinal blood vessels
- Group
- Retina & sight loss
- Vision functions involved
- Visual field, Contrast and detail
- Main source
- NHS
Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the blood vessels in the retina caused by diabetes. Early changes often make no difference to your day-to-day vision.
Retina
The light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye.
How diabetic retinopathy can affect day-to-day life
You may recognise some of these situations, or none of them. The point is to find help with the things you want to do.
When everything looks normal
Early damage may make no difference to reading, screens or getting around.
Attend diabetic eye screening when invited as well as ordinary eye tests. Do not use how well you can see to judge whether screening is needed.
Reading and diabetes tasks
If central sight is affected, print and numbers can become unclear. This may include the information you use to manage diabetes.
Tell your diabetes team which labels or displays you cannot reliably read, so they can help you find an accessible way to manage the task.
Going out in low light
Some people find dark places harder to see in as retinal damage advances.
Report this to your eye or diabetes team. Sudden worsening or new blur needs urgent advice. Do not wait for your next screening visit.
Changes you may notice
- Often no symptoms at the start.
- Later changes can include blurred vision, new floaters or loss of sight.
Everyone is different. Symptoms on their own cannot identify a condition.
What to do about a new or sudden changeAssessment and care
Attend diabetic eye screening when invited, as well as your routine eye examinations. Screening intervals depend on your programme and your previous results. Keeping blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol under control lowers the risk. Hospital treatment can include injections, laser or surgery.
How vision is affected
These topics explain the parts of vision involved. They do not predict your sight, diagnose anything or show the condition itself.
Visual field
Finding a face and noticing the edge of a step make different demands on sight. One uses the centre of your view. The other uses the edges.
Open the visual field labContrast and detail
Sharp edges only help when they stand out from the background. Contrast, print size and blur each change how easy a task is.
Open the contrast and detail labEveryday support
Keep your screening service updated if you move. Tell your diabetes team if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Report any new change in your sight straight away rather than waiting for the next screening invitation.
A question to take to your appointment
What did my screening show, and when should I next be seen?Prepare your appointment checklist
Sources and review status
Sources checked 4 October 2026. Educational draft, not yet clinically reviewed. No clinician has endorsed this page. Follow the advice of your own eye-care team.
How this content is prepared