Did you know that Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness worldwide? It’s true – people who have diabetes are at greater risk of developing eye disease – including retinopathy (high blood sugar levels over time damage the blood vessels of the retina, causing swelling, bleeding and overgrowth of blood vessels), macular edema, cataracts, and glaucoma.
The good news is that there are medical and surgical treatments which can often repair damage and help prevent blindness from retinopathy. These include laser treatment, medication (VEGF inhibitors), removal of the vitreous, steroid injections, and retinal detachment repair.
If you have diabetes, be sure to have regular (at least yearly) dilated eye exams. Notify your eye doctor right away if you experience any visual changes (decreased visual acuity, blurry vision, spots, floaters, flashes of light, blind spots in your field of vision, or visual distortions). Keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol under-control. Lastly, quit smoking.
If you are newly diagnosed with diabetes, schedule an appointment for an eye exam. The earlier you receive diagnosis and treatment for diabetic retinopathy and other eye disease, the better the outcome will be.
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/diabetes-vision-loss
All Blogs are written by Professionals in the fields of Nutrition, Human Development and Diabetes.