The retina is the light sensitive layer of the eye that is responsible for good vision and helps you see. Retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is a disorder that affects the retina and is caused by changes in the small blood vessels within the retina. When the blood vessels are weak, they may swell and leak fluid. The swelling blurs your vision. Because the blood vessels are fragile, they can break and allow blood into the eye, which will allow scar tissue to form. This may cause the retina to break away from the back of the eye, causing decreased vision and or even blindness.

At first you may not notice changes to your vision if you have diabetic retinopathy. But over time, diabetes affects the circulatory system of the retina. diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes.

Patients with diabetes are more likely to develop eye problems such as cataracts and glaucoma, but the diseases affect on the retina is the main threat to loss of vision.
The affect of diabetic retinopathy on vision varies widely, depending on the stage of the disease.  Some common symptoms of diabetic retinopathy:

• Blurred vision - this is often linked to blood sugar levels
• Floaters and flashes
• Sudden loss of vision