Living with diabetic macular oedema
Diabetic macular oedema is a complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. High blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye, causing them to leak, and subsequently, fluid builds up at the macular. The macular provides the central vision for seeing fine details, which is important for activities like reading or watching TV.
If you’re diabetic, it’s important to follow the advice of your healthcare team to manage your blood sugar level and reduce the risk of eye disease. You should also have an annual diabetic eye screening appointment to monitor for changes – early detection and treatment can help limit vision loss. If you already have diabetic macular oedema, you can slow its progression by managing your diabetes with support from your healthcare team.
You can find more information about the causes, symptoms, and treatments of diabetic macular oedema on the Moorfields Eye Hospital website.
On this page
Living independently with diabetic macular oedema
- Wearing anti-glare glasses or coloured lenses to help with bright light
- Installing dimmer switches so you can change the brightness of the light for different activities
- Low vision aids, like magnifiers, to help you see details
- Learning new independent living skills to manage day-to-day life at home, such as pouring drinks safely
- Using practical equipment and learning skills for personal care, such as learning how to apply make up with a vision impairment
- Exploring strategies for managing central vision damage, like eccentric viewing
Additionally, at Guide Dogs, we have a wide range of services, both with and without guide dogs, and a team of experts who can work with you to understand your needs and agree on a plan that’s right for you.
The ways we could help you:
- Habilitation or rehabilitation of important life skills
- Our guide dog service
- Our Vision Rehabilitation Specialists can make recommendations best suited to you and your needs
- Tips and advice to help you make the most of your remaining vision
- Resources and support on how technology can improve your independence
Enquire today, so we can help to find solutions that work for you.
Your eye specialist or clinic can also refer you for a low vision assessment (LVA). An LVA will explore the useful vision you have and the visual aids that will help make the most of it. Local social services can also support you in keeping safe at home and getting around safely if sight loss affects your mobility.
If your sight loss is significant because of diabetic macular oedema, you may want to consider registering as vision impaired.
Working with diabetic macular oedema
You may want to speak to your employer about your diabetic macular oedema so they can make reasonable adjustments for you, such as giving you time to attend your eye exam screening appointments and treatments.
If the condition does lead to a vision impairment, adjustments could help make the most of your vision to carry on working. Employers must make reasonable adjustments that help you. You might need to explain the kind of things that may help, for example:
- Changes to lighting and desk set up to control glare and contrast
- Low vision aids, such as magnifiers, to help with reading
- Larger print for materials or products you use, such as keyboards and phones
The Access to Work scheme provides grants to employers for equipment or services you need to enable you to work. This could be for transport to and from work, a support worker, specialist equipment and more.
Driving with diabetic macular oedema
So long as your diabetic macular oedema is in the early stages, and your vision hasn't been affected, you will probably be able to carry on driving. If you're having treatment, ask your ophthalmologist for advice about when you can drive. Your vision can be blurry straight after treatment, so you'll need some time to recover.
If you do experience vision changes, ask your ophthalmologist about driving. They'll be able to explain whether your sight meets the minimum visual standard for driving.
If your diabetic macular oedema progresses to cause vision problems, you might need to stop driving. The condition often progresses over many years, giving you time to think ahead and plan how you'll manage. Find out your local public transport choices, talk to friends and family, and get support from Guide Line for getting about with a vision impairment.
Support for people living with diabetic macular oedema
There’s lots of practical advice to help manage changes to your sight. But talking to someone can also help you deal with the emotional side of being diagnosed with diabetic macular oedema. Guide Line can help you find support groups and services local to you. Sharing your feelings and talking them over can boost your confidence about living with diabetic macular oedema or any other eye disease. Your family members might also benefit from understanding more about the condition, and how to support you.
Support organisations
Some organisations that could support you with a diabetic macular oedema diagnosis include:
- Diabetes.co.uk: this site has lots of forums where people living with diabetes from all over the world can connect with one another
- Macular Society: this organisation helps individuals with a macular disease, no matter if you’re newly diagnosed or supporting a loved one, they can offer advice
Get in touch
You can contact us to find out about services and support tailored to your individual needs.
Edited and reviewed by Susie Baker, Principal Vision Rehabilitation Specialist on 21 May 2025
Guide Dogs is committed to working alongside people with a range of vision impairments, who are registered as either sight-impaired or severely sight-impaired.
Our staff undergo comprehensive training in supporting individuals with vision impairment, to enable us to support you every step of the way through one of our many services, with and without dogs. We foster knowledge of living with vision impairment and create content in collaboration with our Vision Rehabilitation Specialists and Habilitation Specialists.
This content is periodically reviewed as we continue to embrace new knowledge and up-to-date information, in order to improve how we deliver our services and advice.
Please note: Whilst Guide Dogs may be able to suggest various third-party websites which may be able to assist you, those are not endorsed by Guide Dogs. Guide Dogs have no control over those third parties and cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information and support they can provide or the suitability and quality of any products or services they provide.