How often should a person with diabetes get their eyes screened?

At least once a year. All people with diabetes should have a retinal (eye) screening annually, even if their vision feels completely normal, because early diabetic retinopathy usually has no symptoms. In Singapore this is widely available through the SiDRP teleophthalmology programme at polyclinics.

SiDRP is the Singapore Integrated Diabetic Retinopathy Programme, a national teleophthalmology screening service. A trained nurse photographs your retina at the polyclinic, the images are sent electronically to a central reading centre where accredited graders assess them, and you are referred to an eye specialist if needed.

Can diabetic retinopathy be cured?

There is no cure that reverses all damage, but it can be controlled and severe vision loss largely prevented. Good control of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, not smoking, and early treatment with laser, anti-VEGF injections or surgery when needed can preserve sight. Earlier detection means better outcomes.

What symptoms should make me see a doctor urgently?

Seek prompt review if you notice new blurred or fluctuating vision, floaters or spots, dark or missing areas in your sight, distorted (wavy) images, or sudden vision loss. In diabetes, any new vision change should be checked quickly, as late treatment can lead to irreversible loss.

If my vision is fine, do I still need screening?

Yes. Diabetic retinopathy is usually symptom-free until it is advanced, so normal vision does not mean your retina is healthy. Screening detects changes early, while treatment is most effective. Skipping your yearly check is one of the main reasons diabetic eye disease is caught too late.

Diabetic Retinopathy in Singapore: Protecting Your Eyes From Diabetes

Written & reviewed by the BestDoctors.sg editorial team · Last updated 2 Jul 2026 · General information, not medical advice

Quick answer. Diabetic retinopathy is diabetes-related damage to the tiny blood vessels of the retina and is a leading cause of blindness among working-age adults. It usually causes no symptoms until it is advanced, so everyone with diabetes needs a retinal (eye) screening at least once a year, for example through Singapore’s national SiDRP teleophthalmology programme at polyclinics. Good control of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, along with not smoking, is the foundation of prevention. When the disease becomes sight-threatening, it is treated with laser, anti-VEGF injections or surgery, and early detection and treatment can prevent most severe vision loss.

Diabetes can quietly damage the eyes long before you notice anything is wrong. Diabetic retinopathy, the most common diabetes-related eye complication, develops as high blood sugar harms the delicate blood vessels of the retina over time. Because it is usually painless and symptom-free until it is advanced, regular screening is the single most important step a person with diabetes can take to protect their sight. The good news: with annual eye checks and good diabetes control, most serious vision loss is preventable.

At a glance

Stages and key aspects of diabetic retinopathy at a glance
Stage / aspect	What it means	Notes
Non-proliferative (NPDR)	Early to moderate damage; weakened, leaking retinal vessels	Often no symptoms; graded mild to severe; detected by screening
Proliferative (PDR)	Advanced stage; fragile new blood vessels grow on the retina	Can cause bleeding, retinal detachment and serious vision loss
Diabetic macular oedema (DMO)	Swelling of the macula (central retina)	Can occur at any stage; main cause of blurred central vision
Screening	Yearly retinal photo for everyone with diabetes	Available via the national SiDRP programme at polyclinics
Prevention	Control blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol; don't smoke	Foundation of slowing or preventing progression
Treatment	Laser, anti-VEGF injections, or surgery	For sight-threatening disease; early detection prevents most vision loss

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye, caused by persistently high blood sugar. Over time, raised glucose weakens and damages the retina’s tiny blood vessels, which can leak fluid or blood, swell, or close off entirely. In response, the eye may grow fragile new vessels that bleed easily.

It is one of the most important complications of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness among working-age adults. In Singapore, diabetic retinopathy affects roughly a third of people with diabetes, making it a significant cause of preventable visual loss.

Why screening matters: it usually has no early symptoms

The most dangerous feature of diabetic retinopathy is that it is typically asymptomatic in its early and even moderate stages. Vision often stays normal until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage, by which point some damage may already be irreversible.

This is exactly why a yearly retinal screening is essential for everyone with diabetes. A simple eye check can detect changes years before you would ever notice a problem, allowing treatment to begin while your sight can still be protected. You cannot rely on how your vision feels.

The stages of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy generally progresses through stages:

Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR): the earlier phase, graded from mild through moderate to severe. Blood vessels weaken, balloon (microaneurysms) and may leak, but no new vessels have grown yet.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR): the advanced phase, where fragile new blood vessels grow on the retina. These can bleed into the eye or pull on the retina, causing serious or sudden vision loss.
Diabetic macular oedema (DMO): swelling of the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision. It can occur at any stage and is a major cause of blurred central vision in people with diabetes.

Screening in Singapore and the national SiDRP programme

All people with diabetes should have an eye examination at least once a year. In Singapore, much of this screening is delivered through the Singapore Integrated Diabetic Retinopathy Programme (SiDRP), a national teleophthalmology service available across the polyclinics.

During a SiDRP screen, a specially trained nurse uses a retinal camera to photograph the back of your eye. The images are transmitted electronically to a centralised reading centre, where accredited graders assess them, usually returning a report quickly. Your primary care doctor then refers you to an ophthalmologist if a problem is found. SiDRP has made yearly eye checks convenient and accessible for diabetic patients across Singapore.

Symptoms, prevention and treatment

Symptoms when present can include blurred or fluctuating vision, floaters or small spots, dark or missing areas in your vision, distorted (wavy) images, and, in advanced cases, sudden severe vision loss. Any new vision change in a person with diabetes needs prompt medical review.

Prevention and management rest on good control of the underlying factors: keeping blood sugar (HbA1c), blood pressure and cholesterol within target, staying physically active, and not smoking. These measures slow or prevent the development and progression of retinopathy.

Treatment for sight-threatening disease includes laser photocoagulation to seal leaking vessels and shrink abnormal new ones; anti-VEGF injections (for example ranibizumab, aflibercept or bevacizumab) to reduce macular swelling and abnormal vessel growth; and surgery (vitrectomy) for advanced cases involving bleeding into the eye or retinal detachment. Detected early, most severe vision loss can be prevented.

Related guides

Best Eye Clinics in Singapore — our editorial shortlist
eye clinics directory
Glaucoma (silent thief of sight)
Dry eye syndrome
Floaters & flashes (red flags)

Sources

Last updated 21 June 2026. Prices are typical market ranges gathered from the cited sources and vary by clinic, doctor and individual case — they are not quotes. This guide is general information, not medical advice; always consult a qualified, MOH-accredited doctor before any treatment.

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