👁️ Men's Health
Diabetic Retinopathy — Eye Complications of Diabetes
Protecting your vision from diabetes — Nigeria's leading cause of preventable blindness
Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the blood vessels of the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye) caused by chronically high blood sugar. It is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes and the leading cause of preventable blindness in working-age adults globally. In Nigeria, where millions of people have undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes, diabetic retinopathy causes significant visual loss — yet it is almost entirely preventable with good blood sugar control, and treatable in early stages before vision is lost. The critical point: diabetic retinopathy has NO SYMPTOMS until it is advanced. Regular retinal screening is the only way to detect it early.
Signs and Symptoms
✓ Early to moderate disease: NO SYMPTOMS — vision appears normal
✓ Advanced disease: floaters (dark spots or strings in vision from vitreous haemorrhage)
✓ Blurred or distorted central vision (diabetic macular oedema — swelling at centre of retina)
✓ Difficulty reading or recognising faces
✓ Sudden loss of vision (vitreous haemorrhage or retinal detachment) — emergency
✓ Visual field loss (peripheral vision affected in advanced disease)
When to Seek Help
All diabetics: annual dilated eye examination from diagnosisType 1: start 5 years after diagnosis. Type 2: start from diagnosis (may already have retinopathy at diagnosis). Pregnant diabetics: each trimester
Any sudden change in vision in a diabeticFloaters, sudden blurring, visual field loss — same-day ophthalmology assessment
Sudden total loss of vision in one eyeVitreous haemorrhage or retinal detachment — emergency ophthalmology referral within hours
Diabetic with HbA1c > 10% at any eye examinationHigher risk of rapid progression — increase examination frequency
Tests & Diagnosis
🧪 Dilated fundus examination
Pupil dilated with eye drops, retina examined by ophthalmologist or trained optometrist using ophthalmoscope. Gold standard — detects all stages
🧪 Fundus photography (retinal photography)
Retina photographed with a camera — allows grading, monitoring, and tele-ophthalmology screening. Available at some Nigerian tertiary hospitals
🧪 Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
Cross-sectional retinal imaging — detects and quantifies diabetic macular oedema. Available at private ophthalmology centres in Lagos and Abuja
🧪 Fluorescein angiography (FFA)
Dye injected, retinal blood vessels photographed — identifies areas of leakage and ischaemia. Guides laser treatment. Available at tertiary eye centres
🧪 Visual acuity testing
Snellen chart — quantifies vision loss. Should be recorded at every diabetic eye review
Frequently Asked Questions
If my vision seems fine, do I still need eye checks?
Yes — absolutely. Diabetic retinopathy is asymptomatic until very advanced. By the time you notice vision symptoms, significant irreversible damage has often occurred. Annual retinal screening detects the disease when it is still treatable and before vision is lost. Think of it like blood pressure — you can't feel high blood pressure, but it is causing damage.
Can diabetic retinopathy be cured?
Early-stage retinopathy can stabilise and even partially regress with excellent blood sugar and blood pressure control. Moderate to severe retinopathy can be treated with laser or injections to prevent progression — but vision loss that has already occurred cannot usually be fully reversed. This is why early detection and treatment are critical.
I have diabetes but I've never had an eye check — am I too late?
It is never too late — but start immediately. If you have had diabetes for many years without screening, there may already be significant retinopathy. An urgent eye examination will establish your current status and allow treatment if needed. Starting blood sugar control now still reduces the rate of future progression, even if some damage has occurred.
Where can I get a diabetic eye examination in Nigeria?
Ophthalmology departments at all Nigerian teaching hospitals offer diabetic retinal screening. The Guinness Eye Centre (LUTH), Eye Foundation Hospital (Lagos), National Eye Centre (Kaduna), and University of Benin Teaching Hospital Eye Department are key centres. Some private ophthalmologists and optometry practices offer retinal photography.