How diabetes affects your eyes

How diabetes affects your eyes

Diabetes can increase the risk of eye problems. Your blood sugar (glucose) level may be high because your body cannot make or use insulin properly. Too much blood sugar can build up and damage nerves and blood vessels in the body. When the blood vessels in the eye are damaged, vision loss or blindness can result. Anyone with diabetes is at risk, so it's important to have regular eye exams.

Diabetes affects the eyes in different ways. You may have blurred vision or other vision problems when blood sugar is high or when insulin therapy is started. However, even if you don't notice any changes, your eyes can be damaged. Don't wait until symptoms appear to check your vision.

The retina senses light entering the eye and sends information to the brain about what you are seeing. When blood sugar rises, blood vessels in the retina can become damaged - this is called diabetic retinopathy. You may not notice any changes at first. But over time, these vessels can develop fragile defects in the vessel walls, which can lead to fluid leakage. With advanced diabetes, fragile blood vessels grow throughout the retina. This can lead to severe vision loss or even blindness.

Treatment - laser surgery. Retinopathy can be detected during a thorough eye examination. A special type of angiography uses dyes to find leaky blood vessels. The early stages of diabetic retinopathy can often be treated with laser surgery called photocoagulation. The laser seals the blood vessels to stop them from leaking and growing. This procedure cannot restore lost vision. However, combined with follow-up care, surgery can reduce the chance of blindness by up to 95%.

Treatment - vitrectomy. In the advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy -- if the retina is detached or a lot of blood seeps into the eye -- your doctor may recommend a vitrectomy. This surgical treatment removes scar tissue, blood, and cloudy fluid from the eye. Vitrectomy can often improve vision, especially if it is done before the disease has progressed far.

Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy include how well you control your blood sugar and blood pressure. Controlling blood cholesterol may also help reduce risk. The longer you have diabetes, the higher your chances of developing diabetic retinopathy. Ultimately, nearly all people with diabetes develop some degree of retinopathy.

You can help prevent eye problems by controlling your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. A major study has found that people with diabetes who have tightly controlled diabetes have significantly lower odds of developing diabetic retinopathy than those who receive standard diabetes care. It also helps quit smoking. It is important to have a dilated eye exam every year to detect early signs of disease.

Therefore, it is best to detect changes in diabetes in advance. The Biophilia Tracker can detect trends in various organs, help you stay on top of diabetes changes, and protect your eyes.