Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body does not know how to turn food into energy. Either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or your body does not know how to use it correctly. When not enough insulin is present or your cells stop responding to it, too much sugar lingers in your bloodstream. As time progresses, this can cause multiple health problems, among them are eye diseases and vision loss. However, knowing how to manage your diabetes and getting annual eye exams can help you prevent vision problems and preserve your eye health.
Whether you have been diagnosed with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina. The blood vessels may swell, leak, or close and restrict blood from passing through. It is possible that new, abnormal blood vessels may grow and can potentially cause further vision problems. There are two main stages – nonproliferative (early stage) and proliferative (advanced stage). In the nonproliferative stage, blood vessels in the retina leak and cause the retina to swell. When the vessels leak, the macula can swell causing macular edema, which can potentially cause permanent vision loss. The proliferative stage is when the retina begins to grow new blood vessels. The newly formed vessels can bleed into the vitreous and cause dark spots that float in your vision or completely block vision if there is heavy bleeding.
Diabetics are also at risk of developing glaucoma, a disease that can damage the optic nerve due to increased pressure in the eye. People living with diabetes are predisposed to developing open-angle glaucoma. Those with diabetic retinopathy can also be at risk for neovascular glaucoma due to the new vessels that block off fluid out of the eye, in turn raising eye pressure. Glaucoma may not present symptoms, therefore vision loss can happen slowly without you noticing.
Always go to your doctor once you notice changes in your vision, especially if it happens suddenly. Some changes to look out for are:
You can protect your vision by getting your annual comprehensive eye exams. Early signs of diabetic retinopathy can be caught at these eye exams. The sooner it is identified, the sooner we can take actions to lower the risk of permanent vision loss.
Because the consequences of diabetic retinopathy can be so severe, it is standard of care to have a comprehensive diabetic eye exam EVERY year, whether you are newly diagnosed or have had it for 15 years.
If you have not gotten an exam in a while it is crucial you schedule an exam as soon as possible. You may get dilated during your visit in order to help the doctor spot any problems, but our office can offer more convenient alternatives if applicable. Book an exam today, and opt in for our retinal imaging that will capture an image of the back of your eye and detect any abnormalities your eye may present.
