Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of blindness in working age people in the Western world.

Retinopathy occurs when some of the smallest blood vessels in the retina (the seeing part of the eye) become blocked or start to leak or bleed. This is painless and doesn't initially affect vision but if left untreated can damage vision. Retinopathy develops over time and generally there are no obvious symptoms until it is well advanced.

Retinopathy can be treated with laser surgery and vision loss can be prevented if the damage is caught early enough. The surgery is generally pain free. However, laser surgery cannot restore any vision that has already been lost.

The best way to protect yourself against retinopathy is to keep your blood glucose levels as near as normal as possible. Also, you should have a check for retinopathy at least once a year as a part of the regular annual diabetes review. Early detection is the key to successful treatment.

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