Diabetic retinopathy is a common eye condition which may lead to blindness if not properly treated. Therefore, it is important to know about diabetic retinopathy stages in order to recognize the symptoms before the condition worsens. There are three diabetic retinopathy stages; According to JohnShopkinsHealthAlerts.com they are as follows:

Microaneurysms – In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy blood vessels in the retina develop weak spots and may leak fluid and blood into the surrounding tissue. Usually, this causes no visual symptoms and the condition may not progress any further, but for some the condition progresses into macular edema.

Macular Edema – This condition is characterized by swelling around the macula, which is located near the center of the retina of the human eye. The swelling is caused by the leakage and accumulation of fluid around the retina. This swelling alters the position of the retina and causes vision to …

Diabetic stages of disease progression have been reduced to five distinct stages of beta-cell destruction leading to diabetes. The article, by Gordon C. Weir and Susan Bonner-Weir of the Joslin Diabetes Center, outlines changes to beta-cell mass, phenotype, and function. Stage one is compensation: the body increases insulin secretion to counter insulin resistance and/or decreasing beta-cells. This is most commonly found in relation to obesity. Stage two is marked by rising glucose levels that reach 5.0-6.5 mmol/L signifying beta-cell adaptation and loss of beta-cell mass. Stage three is marked by rapidly rising glucose levels leading to stage four characterized by stable decompensation with severe beta-cell dedifferentiation. Stage five is severe decompensation with severe reduction of beta-cell mass and onset of ketosis. The researchers stated that the movement between the stages goes both ways with properly treated diabetes moving towards smaller numbers (http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/53/suppl_3/S16.full).

Diabetic Retinopathy Stages

There are four …

What is diabetic retinopathy? Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease. It is also the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. It is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the retina. The retina is the part of the eye which changes light and images that enter the eye into nerve signals which are then sent to the brain; it is the main portion of the eye which allows us to see.

High blood sugar levels lead to diabetic retinopathy. The risk of developing retinopathy grows the longer a person has diabetes. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, almost everyone who has had diabetes for over 30 years will show retinopathy diabetic signs. Diabetics are also at more of a risk if their blood sugar levels are poorly controlled.

Diabetic Retinopathy Symptoms

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