Vitreous humor

The vitreous, or vitreous humor, is the clear gel that is found between the lens and the retina. It gives the rounded shape of the eyeball.
 
Some diseases affecting the retina and vitreous are:

Retinal vascular disease: This condition results when one or more of the blood vessels (arteries or veins) in the eye becomes blocked, disrupting blood flow in the retina. This can be triggered by medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, bleeding, clotting, autoimmune disorders, history of stroke, and atherosclerosis or the thickening of blood vessels. Other factors such as age, high cholesterol, using oral contraceptives, being overweight and smoking also increases risk. Patients present with blurred or sudden loss of vision, headache, floaters or eye pain. 

Some of the eye problems that are classified as retinal vascular disorders are:
1.    Hypertensive retinopathy
2.    Retinal vein occlusion
3.    Central retinal artery occlusion    
4.    Diabetic retinopathy    
5.    Wet macular degeneration
6.    Ocular ischemic syndrome

There are several treatment options available for retinal vascular disorders. Treatment will be prescribed according to the specific condition you have, but the ultimate goal of the procedure or medication is to restore or normalize blood flow in the eyes. Laser treatments, intravenous or injection treatments, and vitrectomy are some of the ways to treat retinal vascular diseases. 

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Diabetic retinopathy: A complication of diabetes that results from small retinal blood vessels leaking or bleeding, retinal tissue swelling or abnormal blood vessels growing into the retina and vitreous fluid leading to blurring of vision. It usually affects both eyes and is the most common cause of blindness among diabetics. ¹

Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR)

This is the early stage of diabetic eye disease. Many people with diabetes have it without knowing because there are usually no eye manifestations at the early stages. It is therefore recommended that all diabetics should have a baseline dilated retinal exam once diagnosed to have diabetes. 
With NPDR, tiny blood vessels leak, making the retina swell. When the macula (center for vision) swells, it is called macular edema. This is the most common reason why people with diabetes gradually lose their vision. In addition, blood vessels in the retina can close off called retinal ischemia which can trigger a cascade of events leading to further blurring of vision.
 
Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR)

PDR is the more advanced stage of diabetic eye disease. It happens when there is prolonged retinal ischemia that triggers the growth of new blood vessels. This is called neovascularization which is always bad for the eyes. These fragile new vessels often bleed into the vitreous. If they only bleed a little, it may be seen as few dark floaters. If they bleed a lot, it might block all vision.
These new blood vessels can form scar tissue that can cause problems with the macula or lead to retinal detachment and ultimately blindness.

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Diagnostic examinations for patients with diabetic retinopathy include a dilated retinal exam, fluorescein angiography (FA) and ocular coherence tomography (OCT) of the macula. 
There are three major treatments for diabetic retinopathy, which are very effective in reducing vision loss from this disease. These include laser surgery, injection of corticosteroids or anti-VEGF agents into the eye, and vitrectomy.  Patients with diabetic retinopathy if diagnosed and treated early, combined with  good control of blood pressure, blood cholesterol and sugar levels can maintain their remaining vision for a long time.