NHS 111 Wales - Health A-Z : Diabetic retinopathy
attend diabetic eye screening appointments – annual screening is offered to all people with diabetes aged 12 and over to pick up and treat any problems at an early stage
Read more about the causes of diabetic retinopathy.
Contact your local optometrist/opticians or diabetes care team immediately if you experience:
you don't need treatment, but you'll need to take care to prevent the problem getting worse
Which stage am I at?
involves shining a laser into your eyes - you'll be given local anaesthetic drops to numb your eyes; eye drops are used to widen your pupils and special contact lenses are used to hold your eyelids open and focus the laser onto your retina
isn't usually painful, although you may feel a sharp pricking sensation when certain areas if your eye are being treated
eating a healthy, balanced diet - in particular, try to cut down on salt, fat and sugar
losing weight if you're overweight - you should aim for a BMI of 18.5-24.9; use the BMI calculator to work out your BMI
exercising regularly – aim to do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, such as walking or cycling; doing 10,000 steps a day can be a good way to reach this target
You should also contact your optometrist, GP or diabetes care team immediately if you develop any problems with your eyes or vision, such as: