Key takeaways:
Diabetes can affect eye health and impact vision. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a swelling in the back part of the eye that can cause vision loss.
There are treatments for diabetic macular edema that can keep your vision from getting worse.
If you have diabetes, you should get your eyes checked at least once a year to make sure you don’t have DME or other diabetes-related eye conditions.
Diabetes can affect all the organs of the body, including your eyes. Diabetic retinopathy is a common diabetes-related eye condition. It can lead to complications like diabetic macular edema (DME).
DME is a serious eye condition that can lead to permanent vision loss. If you’ve been diagnosed with DME, read on for everything you need to know to keep your eyes healthy and your vision safe.
What causes diabetic macular edema?
Diabetic retinopathy causes DME. Over time, high blood sugar can cause inflammation of the blood vessels in your body, including the ones in the retina (the part of the eye that lets our eyes and brain interpret images).
Over time, the inflammation causes the blood vessels to break down and leak fluid. The fluid can accumulate in the retina. This causes the macula — the part of the retina that controls your central vision — to swell and stretch.
Like anything else that gets stretched out, the macula can't do its job properly when it’s swollen and stretched out of shape. That’s why people with DME have trouble with their central vision.
Diabetic macular edema is a serious condition that needs to be treated by a specialized ophthalmologist called a retinal specialist. If DME isn’t treated properly, it can cause permanent vision loss, including blindness.
What are some symptoms of diabetic macular edema?
Early on, people with diabetic retinopathy don’t have any symptoms. Later on, symptoms of DME include:
Blurry vision
Wavy vision
Washed-out colors
Missing parts or “blocked parts” when looking at something
The symptoms can happen in one or both eyes. These symptoms will be most noticeable in your central vision — what you see when you look directly at something.
Getting ready for eye injections? Here’s what to expect and how to prepare for anti-VEGF injections.
Diabetes and eye health: Learn how diabetes can impact your vision and how to keep your eyes healthy.
Treatments for diabetic macular edema (DME): Our experts review the latest medication approvals for DME.
How is diabetic macular edema diagnosed?
An ophthalmologist can diagnose DME during a dilated eye exam. Your ophthalmologist will look at your retina using specialized lenses. If your ophthalmologist notices changes that are concerning for DME, they’ll perform an optical coherence tomography (OCT). An OCT is an imaging test that shows the layers of your retina.
Your ophthalmologist may also recommend additional imaging tests to look at your retina. Like an OCT, all the tests can be done at your ophthalmologist’s office.
What are my options for diabetic macular edema treatment?
There are treatments for diabetic macular edema. But it’s important to treat diabetes and diabetic retinopathy at the same time to keep your vision healthy. Treatments for DME can keep your vision from getting worse and may even improve your vision.
Medications for diabetic macular edema
Intraocular injections are the most commonly used medications to treat DME. These medications are known as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. Anti-VEGF medications for DME include:
These medications are injected into your eye. Your ophthalmologist will numb your eye so you won’t feel pain during the injection. Sometimes, people may notice blurred vision after the injection. But this should only last a short time.
Most people get these injections once a month. Over time, the injections can be spread out, depending on your response to treatment. Anti-VEGF injections can improve your vision over time, making them one of the most effective treatment options for DME.
Focal laser therapy
Focal laser therapy works by creating a microscopic burn on blood vessels so they stop leaking and don’t keep growing.
Laser therapy isn’t painful. For many people, it doesn’t work as well as anti-VEGF injections. It’s sometimes used in combination with other treatment options, including anti-VEGF injections.
Steroid implants
Iluvien is a steroid implant that has been approved to treat DME. It works by decreasing inflammation in the retina, which can help decrease leaking from blood vessels. Your ophthalmologist inserts the implant into the back of your eye.
Implants can be effective for up to 3 years, and they dissolve over time. Steroid implants do carry risks of complications, including cataract development. They aren’t a first choice treatment option. But they can be helpful for some people.
How can you prevent diabetic macular edema (DME)?
The best way to prevent DME is to stay up-to-date with your diabetes treatment. Keeping your blood sugar under good control will keep your eyes healthy. It will also lower your risk of developing both diabetic retinopathy and DME.
It’s also important to get a yearly eye exam with an ophthalmologist. An ophthalmologist can spot diabetic retinopathy and start treatment before you develop complications like DME. This will help keep your eyes healthy and vision clear.
Frequently asked questions
Diabetic retinopathy and DME are two separate conditions. But DME is a complication that can develop if you have diabetic retinopathy. Not everyone who has diabetic retinopathy also has DME. One of the goals of treatment for diabetic retinopathy is to prevent DME.
High blood sugar can worsen DME. High blood pressure and smoking can also damage blood vessels in the eye and worsen DME.
It can take a few months to see the full effects of anti-VEGF injections. That’s why people need monthly injections at first. Over time, people may be able to space out their treatment.
DME can cause low vision and permanent vision loss. These vision changes can make it difficult to work, drive, and perform other daily activities. Vision impairment can be considered a disability.
Diabetic retinopathy and DME are two separate conditions. But DME is a complication that can develop if you have diabetic retinopathy. Not everyone who has diabetic retinopathy also has DME. One of the goals of treatment for diabetic retinopathy is to prevent DME.
High blood sugar can worsen DME. High blood pressure and smoking can also damage blood vessels in the eye and worsen DME.
It can take a few months to see the full effects of anti-VEGF injections. That’s why people need monthly injections at first. Over time, people may be able to space out their treatment.
DME can cause low vision and permanent vision loss. These vision changes can make it difficult to work, drive, and perform other daily activities. Vision impairment can be considered a disability.
The bottom line
DME is a complication of diabetic retinopathy. It can lead to permanent vision loss and blindness. There are treatment options for DME, including injections, implants, and laser therapy. But if you have diabetes, the most important thing you can do to care for your vision is to prevent DME from starting. Make sure you get regular eye checks if you have diabetes. And, if you notice any changes in your vision, see your ophthalmologist right away. Catching DME early can keep your eyesight safe.
Why trust our experts?
References
Distefano, L. N., et al. (2017). Combination of anti-VEGF and laser photocoagulation for diabetic macular edema: A review. Journal of Ophthalmology.
Jacoba, C. M. P., et al. (2025). Diabetic macular edema. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
National Eye Institute. (2024). Diabetic retinopathy.
Prevent Blindness. (2015). Diabetic macular edema (DME).
