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Diabetes is a dangerous disease. It can cause kidney failure, stroke and heart disease. What not many people are aware of is that diabetes can also cause blindness. The eyes blood vessels will become weak if the blood sugar in our body is not controlled well. There will be fluid leaks in the eyes which eventually will cause the blood vessels to close thus stopping flow of blood to the retina. New but fragile blood vessels will form and because of its fragility, will bleed into the eyes resulting in severe vision problems and blindness.
This eye disease is known as retinopathy. Retinopathy is when there are blood flow problems to the eye. This will eventually damage the eye resulting in decreased vision and if left untreated, will cause total loss of vision or blindness.
The 3 most common Diabetic Eye Diseases are Cataract, Glaucoma and Diabetic Retinopathy.
Those with diabetes usually develop cataract in the early stages of the disease. Cataract causes clouding of the eye lens.
While it is unusual for some adults to suffer from glaucoma, those with diabetes are at a higher risk of contracting them, in fact, twice as much likely. Glaucoma is a result of damage to the optic nerve due to an increase in fluid pressure in the eye. This will eventually lead to loss of vision.
The worst of the diabetic eye diseases to befall a diabetic will be Diabetic Retinopathy. This is because in the first stages of this disease, one may not notice any changes in his or her vision, but it will eventually get worse and even cause blindness. That is why Diabetic Retinopathy is a major cause of blindness among American adults as well as the most common eye disease in diabetics.
The function of retina in our eyes is to supply blood, oxygen and nutrients to our eyes. Diabetic Retinopathy occurs when there is damage to the blood vessels in the retina. It causes hanges in the blood vessels in the retina.
The effect of Diabetic Retinopathy varies on sufferers. For some, abnormal new blood vessels will grow on the surface of the retina and eventually cover it and the macula resulting in permanent irreparable damage. For others, their capillaries may swell and leak fluid.
Blindness in diabetics is preventable if retinopathy is diagnosed early. So before the symptoms become permanent and severe or even if it is blurred vision, go get your eyes checked.
There are several things your optometrist will check for and they include early signs of damage nerve tissues, retinal edema, changes to blood vessels and any leaking blood vessels.
Remember, if you have diabetes you must get your vision tested annually, it might save your eyesight.
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