Diabetes affects many parts of the body, including the eyes. Diabetic eye disease is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. If the disease is not properly treated in a timely manner, severe diabetic eye disease can lead to complete blindness and even to loss of the eyeball itself. In the early stages, and often even in the later stages of diabetic eye problems, you may not even know that anything is wrong with your eyes unless you are getting regular dilated eye exams. The longer diabetic damage goes undetected, the harder it is to stabilize the eye damage and vision. Typically, permanent vision damage can be avoided with early detection and treatment. Diabetics should have a diabetic eye care exam at least once each year in order to identify problems early.
What is Diabetic Eye Care?
Diabetic eye care refers to the specialized monitoring, prevention, and treatment of eye problems caused by diabetes. High blood sugar over time can damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina, leading to conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, cataracts, and glaucoma. Diabetic eye care focuses on catching these issues early—often before symptoms appear—so they can be treated before they cause vision loss.
This type of care typically includes annual dilated eye exams, retinal imaging, monitoring blood vessel changes, and discussing blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol control, all of which directly affect eye health. When needed, treatment may involve laser therapy, injections, or other procedures to prevent worsening. Diabetic eye care is a combination of medical management and routine eye exams that work together to protect vision and prevent diabetic-related eye damage over the long term.
What Can I Expect?
Diabetic eye disease can be treated, and treatments are most effective with early detection of the condition. When the blood vessels in the retina have been affected by diabetic retinopathy, laser surgery has been proven to reduce the risk of severe vision loss by about 60 percent. In the case of macular edema, laser surgery can also be effective to seal leaking blood vessels.
Diabetics are also nearly twice as likely to suffer from cataracts and glaucoma than non-diabetics. Cataract surgery is very effective — most patients will notice improvements in vision in just a few days. Glaucoma, while we don’t have a cure, can also be treated effectively with medication, laser treatment, or surgery.
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