While eye drops may help alleviate some symptoms of diabetic retinopathy, they don’t target the underlying blood vessel damage in your retina.

Retinopathy is a possible complication of diabetes. At least half of all people with diabetes develop this eye disease. Diabetic retinopathy is also considered the most common preventable cause of blindness.

Injectable medications, laser therapy, and surgery are possible treatment options for diabetic retinopathy. Some types of eye drops are considered supportive treatments.

Learn more about diabetic retinopathy treatments and how eye drops may play a role in managing your overall eye health and comfort.

Diabetic retinopathy develops when blood vessels in your retina are damaged. As this eye disease progresses, blood vessels can drain into the middle portion of your eye, causing vision changes. It usually affects both of your eyes at the same time.

Your retina is a layer of cells at the back of your eye that can help you see light. As such, retinopathy can cause symptoms like:

  • blurry vision
  • floaters, or dark spots in your vision
  • difficulty seeing objects from far away
  • difficulty reading

Many types of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription eye drops can help address common eye health issues, such as dry eye and allergies.

However, eye drops cannot treat a damaged retina. For this reason, it’s not advisable to use eye drops without a specific recommendation from a doctor.

If a doctor does recommend eye drops, they may do so to help alleviate eye discomfort.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) eye drops

NSAID eye drops may be used to help prevent swelling. However, these prescription eye drops do not directly treat diabetic retinopathy.

NSAID eye drops may also be used with steroid eye drops.

Steroid eye drops

Prescription steroid eye drops may reduce swelling and redness. However, steroid injections or implants may be more effective in treating macular edema (swelling) caused by diabetic retinopathy.

Over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops

Eye drops that reduce pain and inflammation are generally available by prescription only. OTC versions, on the other hand, may help lubricate eyes or alleviate redness. Examples include:

While OTC eye drops might alleviate redness and discomfort to some degree, they’re not effective in treating diabetic retinopathy.

Eye drops don’t treat the root causes of diabetic retinopathy. Instead, a doctor may recommend a combination of the following steps and treatments.

Managing diabetes

High blood sugar (glucose) levels in diabetes may eventually damage blood vessels throughout your body, including those in your retina.

A diabetes management plan that includes medication and lifestyle strategies may help improve glucose levels and reduce your risk of eye diseases.

These strategies include:

  • taking your diabetes medications as prescribed
  • getting regular exercise
  • following a diet as recommended by a doctor or dietitian
  • avoiding alcohol
  • quitting smoking, if you smoke

Regular eye exams

In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy doesn’t cause any symptoms. Annual eye exams can help a doctor detect signs of eye diseases like retinopathy, so you may potentially start treatment in early stages before vision loss and other complications develop.

As a rule of thumb, anyone who is newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be checked for diabetic retinopathy.

People living with type 1 diabetes should receive an eye exam within 5 years of their initial diagnosis.

If you already have diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye exam every 2 to 4 months so a doctor can monitor changes in your eyes and adjust your treatment as needed.

Diabetic retinopathy medications

Currently, there are no oral medications for diabetic retinopathy. However, certain injectable medications may help treat this condition.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) medications are one such option. Anti-VEGF works by reducing macular swelling sometimes caused by diabetic retinopathy. This purpose is to reduce disease progression while possibly preserving your vision.

An eye doctor may recommend monthly anti-VEGF injections and then taper the dose over time.

Steroid injections may also reduce swelling in your eye and improve your vision. However, these may not be first-line treatments because they can also increase your risk of developing glaucoma or cataracts.

Laser surgery for diabetic retinopathy

A doctor may recommend laser surgery if medications and diabetes management aren’t enough to stop this progressive eye disease. In severe cases, you may need multiple treatments.

There are two forms of laser therapy for diabetic retinopathy: focal and scatter laser treatments.

Focal lasers reduce the rate and amount of blood leakage in your eye, while scatter lasers shrink blood vessels contributing to diabetic retinopathy.

Vitreous surgery

Also called a vitrectomy, vitreous surgery involves removing blood in the middle of your eye to help you see better. A surgeon may perform this procedure with either local or general anesthesia.

Implants

Another possible treatment involves steroid implants. These are also injected into your eye but have longer-lasting effects because they gradually release small amounts of medication over the course of a few months at a time. The implant will eventually dissolve on its own.

A doctor may recommend steroid implants over injectable medications if the latter have not worked, or if you cannot receive regular injections.

Researchers are continuing to develop possible treatments for diabetic retinopathy. One growing area of interest is the use of more targeted therapies to prevent inflammation in immune cells called microglia.

As one 2024 review notes, targeting microglia cells could possibly reduce vision loss in diabetic retinopathy.

Another possibility is the use of a cholesterol-lowering drug called fenofibrate (Fenoglide, Lipofen, Triglide), which may slow the progression of retinopathy.

Prompt treatment for diabetic retinopathy may help prevent or slow vision loss. This depends on an early diagnosis as well as overall diabetes management.

Consider getting medical help if you:

  • Have diabetes: Keeping your blood glucose at a healthy level is one of the best ways you can prevent diabetic retinopathy. Healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels can also reduce your risk.
  • Experience changes in your vision: Contact a doctor right away if you’re experiencing any changes in your vision, including:
    • blurry vision
    • difficulty reading
    • dark or blind spots in your vision
    • distorted vision
    • difficulty seeing at night
  • Are due for an eye exam: It’s also important to get an eye exam every year so retinopathy may be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. You may need exams more often depending on the type of diabetes you have and during pregnancy.

When detected and treated early, diabetic retinopathy may be managed to a point where your vision may improve.

In some cases, it may be possible to reverse vision loss in the earliest stages of this condition with treatment and blood sugar management.

Treatment may also decrease your risk of developing related complications, such as diabetic macular edema, retinal detachment, and glaucoma.

When left untreated, diabetic retinopathy may eventually progress to blindness. Unmanaged diabetes can also increase this risk.

Diabetic retinopathy is a common vision-related complication of diabetes. While certain eye drops may help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with this condition, these cannot treat the underlying problems.

Along with a diabetes management plan, a doctor may recommend injections, laser treatments, or vitreous surgery.

Speak with a doctor about your eye health and what steps they recommend that can help preserve your vision while living with diabetes.