Protecting Your Vision During Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month

Every November, we mark Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month – a chance to shine a light on how diabetes can affect the eyes and what you can do about it. If you or a loved one has diabetes (type 1, type 2, or gestational), it’s especially important to understand how your vision could be at risk and how you can protect it.

What is diabetic eye disease?

“Diabetic eye disease” is a term that covers several eye problems caused by diabetes. This happens when high blood sugar levels damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina (the back part of your eye that senses light). It can lead to swelling in the macula (called Diabetic Macular Edema) or new abnormal blood vessel growth (Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy) in which the blood vessels leak, bleed and eventually cause vision loss.

How common is it?

Recent U.S. data show that in 2021:

An estimated 9.6 million people, or about 26.4% of Americans with diabetes, had diabetic retinopathy. About 1.84 million people, or roughly 5.1% of those with diabetes, had the more serious “vision-threatening” retinopathy. These numbers are high and remind us why early detection matters.

Who is at higher risk?

Anyone with diabetes can develop diabetic eye disease, but some factors raise the chance: The longer someone has had diabetes, the greater the risk. Poor control of blood sugar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol also increase the risk.

Certain racial and ethnic groups have higher rates of serious disease. For example, Black and Hispanic individuals had higher standardized prevalence of vision-threatening retinopathy than White individuals in recent studies.

Why this month matters

Awareness months like November give us the opportunity to remind ourselves and our loved ones that with diabetes, you may not notice any changes in vision early on — the damage can be silent.

The good news: You can protect your vision by getting regular dilated eye examinations and taking care of your diabetes and general health.

What you can do right now

• Schedule a dilated eye exam at least once per year (or as your ophthalmologist advises). A dilated exam lets your retina specialist see the back of your eye in detail.
• Control your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. This is not just about numbers — it truly matters for your eyes.
• Stop smoking (if you smoke). Tobacco use worsens many eye conditions, including diabetic ones.
• Know the warning signs, but don’t wait for them: blurred vision, dark spots, floaters, or sudden changes in what you see. But remember: early disease may have no symptoms at all.
• Stay engaged with your health team. If your ophthalmologist sees early changes, they may recommend treatment to slow or stop progression. Early care matters.

Final thoughts

As a retina specialist, I see first-hand how diabetic eye disease can impact lives — and how much it can be prevented with the right steps. This November, let’s use the awareness month to make a difference. If you have diabetes, schedule your eye exam. If someone you care for has diabetes, encourage them. Protecting your vision is a team effort involving you, your endocrinologist, your primary care physician, your ophthalmologist and your own daily choices.

Remember: Early detection + good control = better vision for years to come.

If you’d like to learn more about diabetic eye disease — how it develops, how we treat it and what to expect — I invite you to explore additional pages on this site or contact our office to schedule an evaluation.