Diabetic Eye Disease

November was National Diabetes Awareness Month and with so many Americans who are suffering from this disease and its increasing prevalence, I felt it was important to discuss some of the ways in which diabetes can affect your eyes.

In addition to impaired kidney function and nerve damage, uncontrolled diabetes can also have some ocular consequences:

• Glaucoma – this is a progressive disease that, when untreated, can eventually lead to loss of peripheral vision.  Having diabetes increases the risk of glaucoma by an astonishing 40%! 
  
  Glaucoma is a disease that is without symptoms until very late in the disease stage.  By the time you would notice peripheral vision loss, half of the retinal nerve fibers would already have been destroyed and can never be regenerated. 
  
  That’s why I check for signs of glaucoma every year, even if you have no complaints.
  
  
• Cataracts – Most people develop cataracts as part of the normal aging process, but those with diabetes are up to 60% more likely to develop them and at a younger age than those without diabetes.  There are several different types of cataract, all of which develop at different rates.
  
  Your optometrist, as part of your annual examination will check for the presence of cataracts as well as monitor them for changes and provide you with visual aids that will help improve visual function.
  
  
• Diabetic Retinopathy – There are small cells that line the interior of blood vessels throughout the body including the retina.  The retina is the membrane that receives the light signals that enter the eye.  It sends these signals on to the brain which then interprets them to help us understand our environment.
  
  Diabetes can destroy the cells that line blood vessels, leaving gaps along the interior vessel walls through which blood and fluid can leak out.  The end result is hemorrhages, swelling, and overall poor quality of circulation. 

Because retinal nerve fibers cannot regenerate, it is important for diabetics to have annual dilated retinal examinations.  This way any signs of impending disease are noticed early and further damage may be prevented. 

In fact, other health conditions such as hypertension or high cholesterol often manifest in the eyes as well.  That’s why annual comprehensive ocular health examinations should be an essential part of your health care regimen regardless of whether or not your prescription changes.

If you would like more information on glaucoma, cataracts, or diabetic eye disease, stop by our office to chat or pick up some educational materials.   Educating yourself is a vital part of being an active participant in your own well-being.