RETINA CARE CONSULTANTS. P.A. Meeting Your Retinal Care Needs | Page 5

• New blood vessels appear on the surface of the retina and can cause
scarring resulting cell loss of the retina. There are different types of
retinopathy, mild, moderate and severe, non-proliferative retinopathy.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy or PDR as it is known is the worst type.
Blood vessels migrate along the inside of the retina and into the vitreous gel
which as we know is the fluid which fills the eye. These new blood vessels are
vey weak and can burst easily causing scarring and even retinal detachment
and possible permanent vision loss.
• People at risk are usually those who have type 1 or 2 diabetes for a
prolonged period. At risk particularly are women who are pregnant as they
are more prone to the rapid onset of diabetic retinopathy. The early stages
of detection are similar to retinal detachment, i.e. floating spots in the eyes.
These can clear but you need to consult with a specialist. It is advisable to
consult with a specialist or optometrist annually as they can pick up early
stages of retinal detachment by photographing the eye. Also, additional
blood vessels can be clearly seen on the camera screen.