How Diabetes Affects Your Eyes And Vision
You know that having high blood sugar from diabetes can affect many body systems, but how does it affect your eyes? Over time, having high blood sugar from diabetes can cause complications with the tiny blood vessels in the eyes. Eventually, these complications can lead to permanent vision loss, low vision or less commonly, blindness. By managing your diabetes and monitoring your eye health, you can take steps toward preventing or minimizing diabetic eye disease. How can I prevent eye complications or stop them from getting worse? Catching and treating eye problems early is the best way to prevent vision loss. Having a comprehensive exam done by a professional such as an ophthalmologist at least once a year is recommended for everybody with diabetes. An ophthalmologist is a specialist that can diagnose and treat eye disease. If you already have diabetic eye disease, you may need an exam more often. Talk to your eye care professional about which frequency is recommended for you. Controlling your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol when you have diabetes are other important steps you can take toward protecting your eye health and your overall health. Unmanaged blood pressure and cholesterol can make complications progress faster when you have diabetes. Visit your doctor regularly for check-ups to be sure you are properly managing your diabetes. How does diabetes affect my eyes and vision? Diabetes can cause different types of eye problems. The retina, which is a tissue that lines the back of the eye, is commonly affected by diabetes. High blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the retina, a condition called diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy has different stages, depending on how severe it is. Other conditions, such as detached retina and macular edema, can h Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Your Eyes | Saveoursight
One of the most distressing and difficult complications of diabetes is reduced vision. Diabetes is a leading cause of preventable blindness in the adult population. But you can help save your sight by: Good control of blood glucose levels Treatment of general medical conditions such as high blood pressure and/or abnormal cholesterol levels. Regular eye examinations. Reporting any rapid changes of vision. Checking with an optometrist or ophthalmologist about the possibility of more frequent eye examinations if you are pregnant as pregnancy poses additional risks. How does diabetes affect my sight? Diabetes may cause damage to the eye’s light sensitive lining, the RETINA, and produce changes called DIABETIC RETINOPATHY. The retina is the delicate layer of blood vessels and light sensitive cells positioned at the back of the eye similar to the film in a camera. Images we see are formed on the retina itself, converted into electrical impulses, and pass from the retina to the brain along the optic nerve. The central part of the retina, opposite the pupil, is called the MACULA. This part is the most sensitive and allows us to see fine detail. The rest of the retina sees the less well defined images but gives us peripheral visual awareness, movement sensation and helps us see at night. If the retina is damaged by DIABETIC RETINOPATHY, the images formed on the retina are not detected by the light sensitive cells, some of the electrical impulses are not transmitted to the brain and our vision is reduced. YOU MUST HAVE AN EYE EXAMINATION EVERY 2 YEARS. YOUR OPTOMETRIST OR OPHTHALMOLOGIST WILL TELL YOU IF YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR EYES EXAMINED MORE OFTEN. NEWLY DIAGNOSED PEOPLE WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES SHOULD HAVE AN EXAMINATION WHEN FIRST DIAGNOSED. It is important that you do not wai Continue reading >>
Diabetes And The Eyes
Diabetes can lead to numerous vision problems. When diabetes is poorly controlled, there is an excess amount of sugar in the blood, causing the vessels that supply the eye with blood to thicken and harden, which prevents them from doing their job properly. In the eye, diabetes affects primarily: The iris: located on the surface of the eye, it gives the eye its colour. The crystalline lens: suspended behind the iris, this biconvex structure acts like a lens, directing and focusing the light on the retina. The vitreous humour: a transparent jelly-like substance that gives the eye its round shape and helps the flow of oxygen to the eye. The retina: a thin layer of cells lining the back of the eye, it senses images, colours, shapes and motion; The optic nerve: situated at the back of the eye, it transmits the images captured by the eye to the brain. Diabetes is not a primary cause of cataracts or glaucoma. However, these eye diseases tend to appear prematurely in people with diabetes. Diabetes complications mainly affect: When to see your doctor Regular eye exams are essential since the effect of diabetes on the eye usually produces no symptoms until well advanced. The recommended frequency of eye exams is as follows: First Exam Follow-up Type 1 diabetes Starting at the age of 15 or 5 years after diagnosis Every year or according to recommendations of the health professional Type 2 diabetes At diagnosis Every year or according to recommendations of the health professional Pregnant women with type 1 or 2 diabetes Before conception During the first 3 months of pregnancy, and if needed afterwards. Recommandations adapted from Canadian Diabetes Association 2013 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes in Canada. If you have retinopathy, the freq Continue reading >>
Diabetic Eye Disease
A A A Do I need to follow-up with my doctor after being diagnosed with diabetic eye disease? Diabetes is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, and, in the United States, it is the most common cause of blindness in people younger than 65 years of age. Diabetic eye disease also encompasses a wide range of other eye problems, for example, Diabetes may cause a reversible, temporary blurring of the vision, or it can cause a severe, permanent loss of vision. Some people may not even realize they have had diabetes for several years until they begin to experience problems with their eyes or vision. Diabetes also may result in heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and circulatory abnormalities of the legs. The American Diabetes Association estimates that 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 8.1 million people additional people went undiagnosed. (This population is unaware that they have diabetes.) In the United States 1.2 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed every year. In the US in 2012, the total annual cost of diagnosed diabetes was 2.45 billion. Eighty-six million people in the US have prediabetes, and 9 out of every 10 don't know they have it. Of the 86 million people with prediabetes, without lifestyle changes 15% to 30% of them will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years. Lifestyle management has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and prediabetes by at least two-thirds. It can also slow or halt the progression of prediabetes to diabetes. People can try to avoid the problems associated with diabetes, including those that affect the eyes, by taking appropriate care of themselves by the following: Maintain a normal level of weight Watch your diet, especially limiting unhealthy types of fats and Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that occurs in people who have diabetes. It causes progressive damage to the retina, the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy is a serious sight-threatening complication of diabetes. Diabetes interferes with the body's ability to use and store sugar (glucose). The disease is characterized by too much sugar in the blood, which can cause damage throughout the body, including the eyes. Over time, diabetes damages the blood vessels in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when these tiny blood vessels leak blood and other fluids. This causes the retinal tissue to swell, resulting in cloudy or blurred vision. The condition usually affects both eyes. The longer a person has diabetes, the more likely they will develop diabetic retinopathy. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include: Seeing spots or floaters Blurred vision Having a dark or empty spot in the center of your vision Difficulty seeing well at night When people with diabetes experience long periods of high blood sugar, fluid can accumulate in the lens inside the eye that controls focusing. This changes the curvature of the lens, leading to blurred vision. However, once blood sugar levels are controlled, blurred distance vision will improve. Patients with diabetes who can better control their blood sugar levels will slow the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Often the early stages of diabetic retinopathy have no visual symptoms. That is why the American Optometric Association recommends that everyone with diabetes have a comprehensive dilated eye examination once a year. Early detection and treatment can limit the potential for significant vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. T Continue reading >>
Eye Damage (diabetic Retinopathy)
Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness in Canada. People with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts at a younger age and are twice as likely to develop glaucoma, but diabetes’ effect on the retina is the main threat to vision. Called diabetic retinopathy, this effect of diabetes on the eyes is the most common cause of blindness in people under age 65 and the most common cause of new blindness in North America. It is estimated that approximately 2 million individuals in Canada (i.e. almost all people with diagnosed diabetes) have some form of diabetic retinopathy. We are pleased to announce that Diabetes Canada and the Canadian Association of Optometrists have partnered to help optometrists educate their patients about retinopathy. What is retinopathy? Over time, diabetes can cause changes in the retina at the back of the eye. Your retina helps you see by acting like a film projector in the back of your eye, projecting the image to your brain. The change is called retinopathy and there are a couple of different types that affect people with diabetes. The macula, which is the part of your retina that helps you to see colour, becomes swollen (macular edema) and this can cause blindness. A second complication is the growth of new weak blood vessels that break and leak blood into your eye so the retina cannot project images to your brain (proliferative diabetic retinopathy). The result is a loss of sight. Diabetes causes changes in the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina. In the early stages, known as nonproliferative or background retinopathy, the arteries in the retina weaken and begin to leak, forming small, dot-like hemorrhages (blood flow from the ruptured blood vessel). These leaking vessels often lead to swelling (edema) in the retina and decreased Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Your Eyesight
Diabetes is a complex disease resulting from the inability of the body to produce insulin, a hormone that takes sugar out of the blood and into cells where it can be used for energy. Without enough insulin, there is too much sugar in your blood. It’s like having a car full of gas but no key; you have the fuel you need, but can’t start using it. Diabetes affects more than 29 million Americans. The most common form of diabetes is adult-onset diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes typically strikes those who are over 40, overweight and have a sedentary lifestyle. Other risk factors include those with a family history of diabetes and those belonging to certain ethnic groups. Persons of African, Native American, Japanese, Latino or Polynesian descent are more at risk. Diabetic Eye Disease A common complication of diabetes is diabetic eye disease. Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of sight-threatening eye problems that people with diabetes may develop. Glaucoma is one of these diseases. Diabetic eye disease also includes diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. Diabetic retinopathy, a disease which damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina (the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye) is the most common diabetic eye disease. Diabetic retinopathy affects nearly 7.7 million Americans age 40 and older. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens that results in blurring of normal vision. People with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to develop cataracts as other adults. Cataracts also tend to develop at an earlier age. Diabetes and Glaucoma The relationship between diabetes and open-angle glaucoma (the most common type of glaucoma), has intrigued researchers for years. People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma as are non-diabetics, although som Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy
The retina is a layer of light-sensitive tissue on the inside back of your eye. In people with diabetes , the retina can slowly become damaged and cause vision problems. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes, you can reduce your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy by managing your diabetes and having regular eye checks. What causes diabetic retinopathy? Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes. Diabetes can cause the tiny blood vessels in the retina to swell and then bleed or leak fluid. This happens in many parts of the body, and can cause problems like kidney disease and poor circulation to the legs. In the eyes, this process can slowly damage the retina. Both eyes are usually affected. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely it is that you’ll get diabetic retinopathy. Your risk also increases if your blood sugar levels are not well controlled or if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Diabetic retinopathy symptoms If you have diabetic retinopathy, you might: have blurred, distorted or patchy vision that can’t be corrected with prescription glasses find it more difficult to read or watch television become sensitive to glare have trouble seeing at night have problems with your balance. You might not notice any symptoms in the early stages. So if you have diabetes, it is important to get your eyes checked regularly. Diabetic retinopathy diagnosis Diabetes Australia recommends that if you have diabetes, you should have your eyes checked when your diabetes is first diagnosed and then at least once every 2 years. See your doctor or organise an eye test with an optometrist if you notice any changes in your vision. Diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed by an eye exam, and if necessary your doctor may refer you to Continue reading >>
Diabetes & Your Eyes
Are You at Risk For Diabetic Eye Disease? What is Diabetes? Diabetes is characterized by a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood glucose (blood sugar). Glucose is vital to your health because it’s an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. It’s also your brain’s main source of fuel. Diabetes can cause problems such as: blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and limb amputations. What Is Diabetic Eye Disease? Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems associated with complications due to diabetes. All of these eye problems can cause vision loss or in extreme cases, blindness. Diabetic eye disease may include: Diabetic Retinopathy‐damage to the blood vessels of the retina Cataracts‐clouding of the lens of the eye Glaucoma‐an increase of fluid pressure in the eye. This can lead to optic nerve damage and/or vision loss. What’s The Good News? Diabetic eye disease can be prevented by managing your health and can be treated before vision loss occurs! Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and is the leading cause of blindness in American adults. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In some cases, retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other cases, new blood vessels may grow abnormally on the surface of the retina. These changes that occur to the retina may result in vision loss or blindness. What Are The Symptoms? Most often symptoms do not occur until later in the progression of the disease. Blurred Vision‐occurs when the macula swells from leaking fluid (Macular Edema) “Blocked Vision”‐occurs when new blood vessels have grown on the surface of the retina and begin to bleed This is why all Continue reading >>
Eye Health
If you have diabetes, it is likely that you will develop some changes to your eyes. Diabetes sometimes causes the focusing ability of the eye to weaken or to vary from day-to-day however; this problem eases when blood glucose levels are stable. Diabetes can also cause vision loss from Diabetes Retinopathy (damage to the very small blood vessels on the back of the eye). Diabetic Retinopathy The risk of developing diabetic retinopathy increases with the length of time you have had diabetes. The risk is also increased when blood glucose levels are not well controlled over time. Good blood glucose levels and blood pressure, and regular comprehensive eye examinations can greatly reduce the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy but it does not eliminate it. Diabetic Retinopathy can occur regardless of the type of diabetes you have, your age, or even the control you have over your blood-glucose levels. It’s best to have regular eye examinations so that changes can be detected and treated early. People who have diabetes should have their eyes checked from when diabetes is first diagnosed, and then regularly checked every two years. Symptoms Diabetic Retinopathy If you notice any changes in your vision contact your doctor. Some examples of symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy include: Blurred, distorted or patchy vision that can’t be corrected with prescription glasses Problems with balance, reading, watching television and recognising people Being overly sensitive to glare Difficulty seeing at night. In the early stages of Diabetic Retinopathy there may be no symptoms and the disease may not be diagnosed until it is advanced. Double vision This is a rare complication of diabetes. Double vision is usually temporary but it may last for a few months. An optometrist can help trea Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Eye Disease
Retinopathy - diabetic; Photocoagulation - retina; Diabetic retinopathy Diabetes can harm the eyes. It can damage the small blood vessels in the retina, the back part of your eye. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes also increases the chance of having glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye problems. Causes Diabetic retinopathy is caused by damage from diabetes to blood vessels of the retina. The retina is the layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye. It changes light and images that enter the eye into nerve signals, which are sent to the brain. Diabetic retinopathy is a main cause of decreased vision or blindness in Americans ages 20 to 74 years. People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at risk of this condition. The chance of developing retinopathy and having a more severe form is higher when: You have had diabetes for a long time Your blood sugar (glucose) has been poorly controlled You also smoke or you have high blood pressure If you already have damage to the blood vessels in your eye, some types of exercise can make the problem worse. Check with your health care provider before starting an exercise program. Other eye problems that can occur in people with diabetes include: Macular edema. Blurry vision due to fluid leaking into the area of the retina that provides sharp central vision. Retinal detachment. Scarring that may cause part of the retina to pull away from the back of your eyeball. High blood sugar or rapid changes in blood sugar level often cause blurred vision. This is because the lens in the middle of the eye cannot change shape when it has too much sugar and water in the lens. This is not the same problem as diabetic retinopathy. Symptoms Most often, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms until the damage to your eyes is severe. This Continue reading >>
Eating Too Much Sugar? Why Your Vision Suffers
Halloween brings the feeling of fall across the country, with kids dressing up in their best costumes and trick-or-treating among neighbors. Often, they bring back a lot of candy - some of which they inhale immediately, and some of which parents sneak away to hide (or to eat!) But what happens when you overload sugar? A bounty of problems! Diabetes: According to the American Diabetes Association, it's a myth that eating too much sugar can cause diabetes, but research has shown links between sugar andtype 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends avoiding excess sugar regardless, in an attempt to regulate blood glucose. Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes and 8.1 million cases are undiagnosed. Diabetes makes it difficult for your body to produce or use the hormone insulin. Consuming too much sugar causes your body to produce insulin to help your body use and remove this sugar (glucose) from your blood. Otherwise, the sugar builds up in your blood, causing a host of ailments, including vision problems, such as Diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy: Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of eye damage of people with diabetes. The retina is a group of cells in the back of the eye that transmits visual information from the optic nerve to the brain for processing. In individuals with diabetic retinopathy, elevated and uncontrolled blood sugar levels cause irreversible damages to the delicate blood vessels in the retina, causing visual impairment or blindness, says the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Cataracts: The lens within your eye allows your eye to focus light and images on your retina and transmits them to your brain. Cataracts cause a clouding of the usually clear lens, making it difficult for your eyes to focus light, resulting in blurred or Continue reading >>
Diabetes Discovery – Via The Eyes
Did you know that an eye exam can be the first clue to detecting diabetes and other hidden health concerns? Finding health issues early can give patients a better chance at preventing damage through early treatment and management. A routine eye exam can show so many things. Some can be downright life changing – and life-saving – for that matter. One doctor found out first-hand when she did the same thing she does every day – she looked into a patient's eyes. But this was no ordinary exam. When Kathleen Clary, OD, peered into her 48-year-old patient’s eyes, she saw blood and other fluids seeping out of fragile and miniscule vessels in her retinas. The retina is the light and sight-sensing back part of the eye – and without it, you don't see. “As soon as I noticed the leaking fluids and the hemorrhaging, I suspected that they might be symptoms of diabetes,” recalls Dr. Clary, who practices in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Ashburn, Virginia. “In my 12 years of experience as an eye doctor, that kind of bleeding usually signals that a buildup of sugar in the patient’s bloodstream has begun to break down the capillaries that feed the retina. The result is often what we call diabetic retinopathy – a condition in which continuing damage to retinal tissue from diabetes can lead to impaired vision or even blindness, if left untreated.” The eye exam was the very first clue the patient had that she might have diabetes. Dr. Clary talked with her patient about what she saw and explained what it could mean. “I want you to have your blood sugar level checked right away by your family doctor,” she told her patient. “Tell the doctor you need to be evaluated for diabetes with a fasting blood sugar test, because your optometrist noticed some retinal bleeding. Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Your Eyes
Diabetic eye disease, caused by diabetes, is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss. Because of the high risk for eye disease, all people with type 2 diabetes should receive an annual dilated eye exam. For people with type 1 diabetes, an annual dilated exam is recommended after they have had diabetes for 5 years. Pregnant women with diabetes should see their eye doctor during the first three months of pregnancy and may need follow-up visits. Continue reading >>
Diabetic Eye Disease
Diabetic eye disease 12 Diabetic eye disease Diabetes is a common condition where there is too much sugar in the blood. It can be treated, but even with treatment, people with diabetes have a higher risk of developing eye problems. When you eat certain foods, your body turns the foods into glucose (sugar), insulin then helps your body store the glucose allowing it to be released gradually maintaining a steady level of glucose in the blood. Diabetes is a condition where there is too much sugar in the blood. This happens because the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin doesn’t have the effect it should. Continue reading >>
