Do you lose your sight eventually with diabetic retinopathy?

[DeathBySpaghetti]

No one has actually told me a proper answer. Just a simple yes or no would be sufficient, but I understand that it’s not as easy as that.
But it would be great to hear from people who actually have it and not some doctor/consultant who has only ever done research about the disease.

So yes or no? Will I eventually lose my sight?

 

[Lucyr]

No one has actually told me a proper answer. Just a simple yes or no would be sufficient, but I understand that it’s not as easy as that.
But it would be great to hear from people who actually have it and not some doctor/consultant who has only ever done research about the disease.

So yes or no? Will I eventually lose my sight?

It’s not a yes or no question. You might lose no vision, or some vision, or all of your vision. No one can tell you that.

 

[Martin.A]

No one has actually told me a proper answer. Just a simple yes or no would be sufficient, but I understand that it’s not as easy as that.
But it would be great to hear from people who actually have it and not some doctor/consultant who has only ever done research about the disease.

So yes or no? Will I eventually lose my sight?

No sure there'll be anyone on here qualified to give you a definitive answer. Have you looked at what it says on the NHS website, or on this site?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

No one has actually told me a proper answer. Just a simple yes or no would be sufficient, but I understand that it’s not as easy as that.
But it would be great to hear from people who actually have it and not some doctor/consultant who has only ever done research about the disease.

So yes or no? Will I eventually lose my sight?

That's an impossible answer to give. As there are so many different amounts of laser needed and depending on how bad the damage is (bleeds) It also depends on what area of the eye has a bleed.
In this day and age though, unless very unlucky or in some cases just not looking after yourself thus minimising any damage then it would be unlikely to happen.
There has been so many advancements in eye treatments the outcome is a lot brighter.

So if you think about it everyone is different and no one knows.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sight loss is not inevitable.

It used to be much more common that it currently is, so some HCPs phrased it to me as it it were semi-inevitable after 20ish years when I was diagnosed 30+ years ago, but the most I have had is a couple ‘background changes’ 5ish years ago, and am currently ‘all clear’.

But you may have been given the (IMO false) impression that it was inevitable.

 

[Kol]

No one has actually told me a proper answer. Just a simple yes or no would be sufficient, but I understand that it’s not as easy as that.
But it would be great to hear from people who actually have it and not some doctor/consultant who has only ever done research about the disease.

So yes or no? Will I eventually lose my sight?

The most important question, but as said there is no definite answer.

People without Diabetes lose their sight.

It is my most feared check up / review.

Even if our Libre TIR was 100% there may still be no answer, other than trying to keep it in the green I avoid thinking about it.

 

[AprilTS]

No doubt it depends on many factors, and how they are treated. I was diagnosed with retinopathy and maculopathy several years ago and have been having eye injections ever since. They are not pleasant, but they work quickly for me and I can still see very well. I let it slip for a year or so and when I went to the optician she referred me back to the hospital. I had tests and actually failed the driving requirement at that time. I had injections in both eyes that day. A couple of weeks later I developed soreness because of dry eyes and went to A&E as I was worried. I was tested and passed the driving requirement comfortably. That completely convinced me of how effective the injections are for me.

 

[Flower]

There have been some excellent improvements in screening, scanning and treatments in the last few decades & there’s a lot more hope that timely effective treatment can preserve as much sight as possible.

When I got proliferative retinopathy in the late 1980s it was before the retina screening programme existed and pre digital photography. I got a late diagnosis & the only option was laser which couldn’t keep up with my rapidly progressing new blood vessel growth.Sadly the very effective anti VEGF injections didn’t exist back in the 80’s & early 90’s

There’s so many factors that affect the outcome of treatment such as time of diagnosis & the progression of retinopathy. I have proliferative retinopathy & some degree of maculopathy and I’m partially sighted as in blind in one eye with central vision in my other eye. I lost my driving licence, can’t tell colours or see in low light & dark & walk into and trip over a lot of things I just don’t see. It’s not a straight sight/no sight situation in my partially sighted eye.

Hopefully you’ll get the best most effective treatment possible at the best time to preserve as much useful sight as possible.

 

[Kol]

Sorry to @DeathBySpaghetti as it’s not my thread, but thanks to @AprilTS and @Flower for their experiences, sad to read @Flower of your declining sight.

I guess at the end of the day all we can do is our best and hope treatment advances continue.

Certainly for me rtCGM is top of the list for hopefully minimising future problems