Do you have diabetes? If so, you're at risk of developing serious eye diseases. High blood sugar levels can lead to problems such as blurred vision, cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults between the ages of 20 and 74. This article lists some eye conditions related to diabetes:
1. Diabetic retinopathy (DR)
One of the most serious eye conditions, diabetic retinopathy, occurs when the tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye become blocked and begin to leak.
What are the types of DR?
- History of DR: This does not affect vision, but it is necessary to monitor the eyes to ensure that the retinopathy does not worsen.
- Proliferative diabetic retinopathy: If underlying diabetic retinopathy worsens, many blood vessels in the retina become blocked or damaged. If these changes occur over a large area of the retina, the retinal blood vessels will narrow, and the body attempts to repair this by growing new blood vessels on the surface of the retina or in the vitreous gel. However, these new vessels are usually weak and bleed very easily, affecting your vision.
- Diabetic maculopathy: This occurs when the macula is affected by retinopathy. It affects central vision, which is necessary for seeing fine details and color, making it blurry.
What are the causes of DR?
The main cause of this eye disease is chronically high blood sugar due to diabetes, as it directly damages the tiny blood vessels of the retina.
What are the symptoms of DR?
The early stages usually don't cause any symptoms, so the disease progresses unnoticed until it begins to affect vision. If the abnormal blood cells in the retina start to bleed, "floaters" may appear in the eye. These floaters may disappear on their own, but without proper treatment, the bleeding will recur and increase the risk of permanent vision loss.
Treatments for DR:
If this eye condition is detected in its early stages, laser treatment is administered to help prevent bleeding or the growth of new blood vessels.
How to reduce the risk of DR?
You can reduce the risk of DR by:
- Control blood glucose levels.
- Controlling cholesterol levels.
- Control blood pressure.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Quit smoking.
We recommend regular retinal examinations at our clinic in Santa Cruz de Tenerife to help detect diabetic retinopathy at an early stage. Early treatment will prevent vision loss. You should have retinal examinations more frequently if you are pregnant and have gestational diabetes. These examinations should be performed throughout your pregnancy and after your baby is born.
2. Diabetic macular edema (DME)
This eye disease causes fluid to accumulate in the macula, a part of the retina that controls our ability to see clearly, due to leaking blood vessels. Macular degeneration (MD) develops after a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy damages blood vessels, leading to vision problems. If left untreated, these blood vessels begin to build up pressure in the eye and leak fluid, causing MD.
What are the causes of DME?
High blood sugar is a major cause of AMD. It can cause blood vessels in the retina to leak or grow uncontrollably. AMD occurs when fluid leaks into the retina. This leakage causes the retina to swell, making it harder for the macula to function.
What are the symptoms of AMD?
It usually does not cause symptoms, however, you might experience blurred vision.
3) Waterfall
This occurs when there is clouding or fogging of the eye's lens, which is otherwise clear. Since the lens allows you to focus and see images clearly, a cataract will cause blurred, cloudy, or glassy vision. Cataracts can affect anyone, but people with diabetes may develop cataracts at a younger age than others, and the condition will progress more rapidly in diabetics. Cataracts can be treated with surgery in which the cloudy lens is removed or cleaned and replaced with a clear, artificial lens.
4) Glaucoma
Glaucoma damages the optic nerve of the eye. It occurs when fluid builds up in the front of the eye. This extra fluid creates pressure in the eye and damages the optic nerve and blood vessels, affecting vision.
What are the symptoms of glaucoma?
It doesn't cause any symptoms until it begins to affect vision and the patient experiences significant sight loss. However, in the early stages, they may experience headaches, blurred vision, eye pain, watery eyes, and halos around lights.
What is the treatment for glaucoma?
Glaucoma treatment includes medications that can treat open-angle glaucoma. These medications lower eye pressure, reduce the amount of fluid the eye produces, and speed up drainage.
How to prevent glaucoma?
Annual eye exams are mandatory for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. You can have more frequent checkups if needed.
Women with a history of diabetes who are considering becoming pregnant should have an eye exam before and during pregnancy. This does not apply to women with gestational diabetes.
Schedule an appointment today with one of the exceptional specialists at Clínica Nivaria in Santa Cruz de Tenerife to rule out any eye conditions that may be caused by diabetes. We look forward to seeing you! We'd be delighted to discuss your case.
