Eye Conditions:
Diabetes
Diabetes is a systemic or total
body disease that has many effects on your body. From the standpoint
of your eyes, regular examinations are
recommended because of the specific risks that diabetes
poses to your eyes. It is especially important to follow through
with these eye examinations on a regular basis because many of
the problems diabetes can create in the eye are treatable.
Early detection and appropriate treatment of diabetic eye disease
has been shown to preserve vision. Remember that you are usually
not aware of the eye disease until it causes permanent damage.
All diabetics understand the need to keep their sugar levels
and diet under control. Fluctuating glucose levels and sustained
elevation of blood glucose have both been demonstrated to increase
the risk of diabetic eye disease. Smoking
further increases that risk. While no one can lead a "risk
free" life, smoking with diabetes is both sight threatening
and life threatening.
For the eye, diabetes usually shows up first in the retina.
Like the film in a camera, your retina has one job in your eye:
turning light into images for your brain. Diabetes can be thought
of as a disease of small blood vessels. As the small blood vessels
that nourish the retina lose function, they spring small leaks,
allowing fluid to pass into the retina. This causes swelling of
the retinal tissues, interfering with the retina's ability to
do its job. The result is blurred vision
that cannot be improved with glasses. In many cases, lasers can
be used to seal up the leaks, often allowing for recovery of vision
as the leakage stops and fluid is reabsorbed.
As a result of vessel damage in diabetes some parts of the retina
don't get as much oxygen as they need. In response, the retina
sends out chemical signals for the body to create new blood vessels.
Unfortunately, these new vessels have a tendency to break and
bleed easily. With blood inside the eye, the vision gets very
smoky. Also, scar tissue may form, permanently reducing vision.
In a series of studies performed in the 1980's and still recognized
for their superb design today, eye MD's or ophthalmologists determined
that the timely use of lasers to decrease these signals for new
blood vessels to form helped preserve vision, and prevent bleeding
and scar tissue formation.
In addition to diabetic retinal disease, diabetics are at increased
risk for cataracts,
glaucoma
and infections. Maintaining regular
care with your eyecare professional is the key to minimizing your
risk of permanent vision loss.
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