Eye Disease
People with diabetes are at risk for three types of eye disease:
retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. All of these can lead to blindness.
And all can be avoided or lessened with treatment if detected early.
Retinopathy, the most common eye disease for people with diabetes,
is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the retina. In some
cases, these vessels may swell and leak fluid. As it worsens, abnormal
new blood vessels may grow on the retina's surface, causing vision
loss or blindness.
Cataracts are another major cause of vision loss. If you have diabetes,
you are twice as likely to get a cataract, which is the clouding
of the lens of the eye. People with diabetes develop cataracts at
an earlier age than people who do not have diabetes. Cataracts can
often be treated surgically, by replacing the eye lens with an artificial
lens. It is very important to have an annual eye exam so cataracts
can be detected before they become severe.
Glaucoma. Diabetes also increases the risk of glaucoma, which is
an increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that damages the optic
nerve and can lead to vision loss.Glaucoma can be treated with medications
to reduce the fluid pressure in the eye. Laser or other types of
surgery may also be effective. An annual eye exam is critical in
order to detect and treat glaucoma at an early stage.
Risk
Factors For Eye Disease
Reducing
Your Risk Of Eye Disease
Treatment
Of Eye Disease
The following groups are at an even higher risk of getting retinopathy:
- men with diabetes
- people with diabetes who have kidney disease
- pregnant women
These groups are at an increased risk of getting cataracts:
- people over age 60 with diabetes
- people who have had diabetes for many years
- people who have poor diabetes control
This group is at an increased risk of getting glaucoma:
- people with type 2 diabetes
Reducing Your Risk For Eye Disease
You can greatly reduce your risk of diabetic eye disease by doing the following.
- Practice
tight control:
As average blood sugar levels rise, so does the risk of retinopathy. The tighter your blood sugar control, the slower the onset and progression of retinopathy. A study that took 10 years to complete, called the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) showed that those who practiced tighter control experienced 76% less eye damage than those who practiced standard control. Practicing tight control can also decrease your chances of getting cataracts.
- Reduce your blood pressure:
High blood pressure increases the risk of severe retinopathy, so if you reduce your blood pressure, you will decrease your risk of retinopathy.
- Get an annual dilated eye exam:
People with diabetic eye disease often have no symptoms or pain until the disease becomes advanced. Your Opthalmologist can detect retinopathy before you have any vision impairment. The earlier retinopathy is diagnosed, the sooner you can start practicing tight control and receiving laser therapy to decrease the amount of eye damage your retinopathy will cause. It is important that the eye exam involves dilation so the doctor can examine the blood vessels in the back of the eye (retina).
Retinopathy
Laser surgery can effectively treat retinopathy by shrinking the
abnormal vessels of the retina, repairing leaking vessels, or destroying
those that can't be fixed. However, laser surgery is best used as
a preventative measure. It often cannot restore vision that is already
lost. That's why it is important to detect retinopathy in its earliest
stages and treat it as soon as possible.
Cataracts
Cataracts can be treated by surgically replacing the lens of the
eye with a plastic lens. This surgery restores vision 90-95% of
the time.
Glaucoma
Treatment depends on the type of glaucoma. Eye drops, laser treatments,
and laser surgery are often very successful.