Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment

Not everyone with diabetes will develop diabetic retinopathy. While diabetes-related retinopathy can’t be cured, treatment can slow or stop progression of the disease.

Managing Diabetes

• Monitor your blood sugar. Keeping your blood sugar within a range you discuss with your doctor can help slow or delay damage to your retinas. Typically, an A1C (average blood sugar) level below 7 percent can help prevent retinopathy.

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  You can check your glucose levels at home with a finger-stick device or continuous glucose monitor.
• Eat a healthy diet. Eating a balanced diet and limiting sugar and refined carbohydrates helps keep your blood sugar levels stable.
• Get physical exercise. Regular physical activity allows your muscles to take up excess glucose and improves your insulin sensitivity.
• Follow your prescriptions. Take your medications for diabetes as your doctor prescribes.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Reaching or maintaining a healthy weight can improve the way your body metabolizes glucose.

Getting regular checkups is also important to monitor your condition and overall health.

Eye Treatments

Eye Injections

Anti-VEGF drugs approved by the FDA include:

• ranibizumab (Lucentis)
• aflibercept (Eylea)
• faricimab (Vabysmo)
• bevacizumab (Avastin)

In addition to anti-VEGF treatments, your healthcare provider may recommend corticosteroid drops or injections to help manage inflammation.

Your eye doctor administers these injections with a topical anesthetic, and they require repeat treatments. In some cases, injections may be used together with laser therapy.

Laser Therapy

You may have blurry vision for a day after laser therapy, and some loss of night vision or peripheral vision can occur.

Eye Surgery (Vitrectomy)

An eye surgeon performs a vitrectomy using local or general anesthesia.