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Diabetes and Your Eyes |  | | By Mark A. Nekola MD |
If you have diabetes mellitus, your body does not use and store sugar properly. This single problem can have a profound effect upon your vision. It can lead to fluctuating changes in your glasses prescription, cause cataracts, and most importantly, damage the blood vessels inside the eye.
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of Diabetes that is caused by changes in the blood vessels in the eye. The retina is a nerve layer at the back of the eye that senses light and helps to send images to your brain. Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of new blindness amoung adults in the US. The longer a person has diabetes , the more the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy increases.
Diabetic retinopathy is divided into two categories: nonproliferative or backround rentiopathy and proliferative retinopathy. In nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy tiny blood vessels within the retina become damaged and leak blood and fluid. The fluid in the retina prevents it from functioning properly. This leakage only effects vision if it occurs in the macula which is the part of the retina that lets us see fine details.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy describes the changes that occur when new, abnormal blood vessels can bleed or contract leading to a detachment of the retina with significant loss of vision. It is the most serious form of diabetic retinal disease and can cause severe loss of sight including blindness.
If you have diabetes it is important to know that today, with improved methods of diagnosis and treatment, only a small percentage of people who develop retinopathy have serious visual problems. Prevention of vision loss from diabetes requires a team effort between you, your Ophthalmologist, and your other health care providers. Your attitudes and attention to medications and diet are essential. You must maintain blood sugar control, aviod smoking and watch your blood pressure. People with diabetes should schedule examintaions by an Ophthalmologist at least once a year even if they feel their vision is OK. More frequent medical eye exams may be necessary once diabetic retionpathy has been diagnosed. With careful montioring by your Ophthalmologist, treatment can begin before sight is affected. Laser and operative sugery are highly effective treatments should vision threatening retinopathy develop. |
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