What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease caused by the various forms of diabetes:
- Type 1: The body does not produce insulin in Type 1 diabetes, usually diagnosed in children and young adults and previously called juvenile diabetes.
- Type 2: Over time, insulin production stops or the body’s cells ignore it.
- Gestational: Blood sugar levels become elevated during some pregnancies.
All forms of diabetes may result in damage to the blood vessels in the retina, which is a delicate structure lining the inside back wall of your eye. The retina is responsible for detecting light which is then transmitted via the optic nerve to your brain. The brain then interprets this light as images.
The damaged blood vessels can blur vision, severely limit it or even destroy it completely as the disease progresses. Our team can help you manage your diabetes, then provide top treatments if diabetic retinopathy takes hold.
Learn more about other eye problems tied to diabetes:
Stanford Diabetic Retinopathy Expertise
One of the main challenges with diabetic retinopathy is knowing when to treat it, then recommending which approach to use. We can help you with these decisions, by offering:
- Top doctors: Our doctors have extensive training and experience treating diabetic retinopathy. Guidelines for the condition change quickly—not only do our doctors track the latest findings closely, they also conduct their own leading research.
- New advances: We offer the latest diagnostic and treatment options and are developing more. We pioneered PASCAL laser therapy. Our OCT angiography looks at blood flow without injecting dye. And we are studying longer-lasting injections and improved lasers with clinical trials.
- Coordinated care: Diabetes affects the whole body, not just the eyes. Stanford offers all the specialists you need, with electronic records and easy appointments ensuring coordinated care. Specialists include:
- Ophthalmologists
- Endocrinologists
- Nephrologists
- Neurologists
Learn more about our Byers Eye Institute.