[ LEHP ] [ Glaucoma ]     Diabetic retinopathy damages blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that translates light into electrical impulses that the brain interprets as vision. Often there are no symptoms or pain in the early stages of the disease.   Vision may not change until the disease becomes severe. There are approximately 1.4 million people in the UK who have either type 1 (insulin dependent) or type 2 (non insulin dependent) diabetes. All are at risk of developing one of several diabetic eyes diseases that cause loss of vision: diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataract.