November is diabetic eye disease awareness month! If you have diabetes, have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. It’s the best thing you can do to save your sight. In a person with diabetic retinopathy, the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in the United States, the exam may show swelling or leaking of blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive layers of tissue at the back of the eye. The eyecare professional may also see abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina associated with diabetic retinopathy.