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Diabetes can lead to a range of health complications, many of which affect the eyes. The term "diabetic eye disease" encompasses several eye conditions commonly associated with diabetes, which often occur simultaneously.
While high blood sugar may initially cause only mild blurriness due to swelling in the eyes, prolonged elevated glucose levels can result in permanent damage to the blood vessels within the eyes. This damage increases the risk of serious vision problems over time.
Read on to learn more about the impact of diabetes on eye health and how to manage these conditions effectively.
Your retina is an extremely important part of your vision. It contains the necessary components to detect light and translate it into images that are sent to the brain as electrical impulses.
Retinas are also very sensitive and fragile, so any problems with them are serious and need to be taken care of immediately.
When the blood vessels inside of your eye are damaged due to high blood sugar, they can bleed and leak into the retina. Without intervention, the blood vessels become weaker and weaker over time.
This eventually leads to them completely closing off and triggering the growth of new blood vessels. These new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina.
New blood vessels combined with bleeding, leaking, and scarring of old blood vessels can lead to permanent retinal damage. It can even go so far as to cause retinal detachment.
In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy can be treated with better management of blood sugar levels. For advanced diabetic retinopathy, there are several different treatment options available.
Which treatment your doctor recommends is largely dependent on your specific retinal problems.
The center of the retina is called the macula. The macula handles the central part of your vision.
When the blood vessels in your retina swell due to diabetic retinopathy, it can cause swelling of the macula. This is also called macular edema.
Macular edema destroys vision and can lead to vision loss or even blindness. Certain surgical laser procedures can help relieve diabetic macular edema but prevention is more effective.
Cataracts occur when the lenses in our eyes cloud over. Even though this is a natural part of aging, diabetes can cause patients to develop cataracts at an earlier age.
It is believed that this is due to a buildup of deposits in your lenses from high glucose levels.
Glaucoma is a symptomless condition that gradually causes total vision loss if not diagnosed and treated early. Glaucoma develops in many patients who don’t have glaucoma. However, studies have shown that diabetics are twice as likely to develop glaucoma.
If you’re a diabetic, you should have eye exams on a more regular basis. Talk to your eye doctor to find out how often you should be having eye exams.
Can’t remember the last time you had an eye exam? Have more questions about diabetic retinopathy or diabetic eye diseases?
Schedule an appointment at Premier Eye Care of Eastern Idaho to discuss your concerns with one of our eye doctors!
Still have questions? Call or schedule an appointment to get a more in-depth look at your eye health.
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A comprehensive eye exam allows us to assess the overall health of your eyes and develop a personalized care plan tailored to your specific needs. The exam includes a series of questions and tests designed to gather detailed information about the various functions and structures of your eyes. This brief video will guide you through the entire process, ensuring you know exactly what to expect.
Located South of EIRMC and Sunnyside Rd in Idaho Falls
Located on Clark St. right off of I-15 take exit 69. Between 16th & 17th Ave.
Right off of Main Street West of HWY-20 across from Valley Wide Country Store & Blister's BBQ.
