Diabetes: Eye Care

Your body changes most of the food you eat into glucose (a form of sugar). Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter all the cells of your body and be used as energy.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when a person’s body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin properly. When you have diabetes, the sugar builds up in your blood instead of moving into the cells. Too much sugar in the blood can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and damage to the nerves and kidneys.

There are 2 types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce any insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Between 90-95% of people who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes causes the level of sugar in your blood to be higher than normal. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels and nerves in your body.

Damage to the blood vessels in your eyes (called diabetic retinopathy) can cause vision loss and even blindness.

Uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes can damage the small blood vessels of the retina. The retina is the part of the eye that's sensitive to light and sends messages to your brain about what you see.

When the blood vessels of your retina are damaged, fluid can leak from them and cause swelling in your macula. The macula is the central part of the retina and gives you sharp, clear vision. The swelling and fluid can cause blurry vision and make it hard for you to see.

If retinopathy worsens, your eye may begin to form new blood vessels over the retina. These vessels are fragile and can break easily and bleed. Scar tissue may form, which can cause the retina to break away from the back of the eye.

When retinopathy is found early, laser treatment can help keep you from losing your vision. If it's not treated, retinopathy can cause blindness.

The most important thing is to have your eyes checked regularly--at least once a year. You probably won't notice the early signs of diabetic retinopathy because the early changes in your eyes can only be seen through special equipment.

If you notice any of the symptoms in the box below, call your doctor.