All types of diabetes can cause poor vision and other eye issues over time. This is why patients need to take care of their blood sugar levels and seek diabetic eye treatment immediately after noticing vision changes. It's also crucial to schedule regular eye doctor visits for checkups after the treatment. So, how does diabetes affect someone's vision? Keep reading to understand why diabetes is a leading cause of impaired vision.
Blurry Vision
Whenever a patient has progressive diabetes-induced vision impairment, the first warning sign they notice is blurry vision. The vision is normally blurred because of the fluid leak in the lens that makes them swell, losing their original shape.
Due to this change, the focus abilities are affected, and things appear fuzzy. It's also common to experience blurry vision after starting diabetes insulin treatment. Luckily, the vision clears out immediately when the blood sugar levels stabilize.
Glaucoma
This series of eye conditions is primarily characterized by optic nerve damage. Glaucoma can progress for a while without showing symptoms until significant damages occur. First, it targets peripheral vision. Prioritizing glaucoma screenings can assist patients in discovering the early warning signs and getting early treatment. This will prevent the disease from developing or causing loss of vision.
While glaucoma doesn't have a cure, more people today can control the symptoms using specific medication, eye drops, laser treatment, and other surgeries on rare occasions.
Cataract
When clouding forms on your eye lens, focusing becomes difficult. This eye condition is called a cataract and often affects people with diabetes, mainly at a young age. Usually, the lens acquires glucose and oxygen from fluid aqueous humor (at the front part of the eyes).
Since the glucose levels are high in diabetic patients, they cause swelling. Moreover, the lens has an enzyme (Sorbitol dehydrogenase) that can accumulate and affect the cells and proteins. This also makes the lens opaque, hindering vision.
Diabetic Retinopathy
This condition is one of the primary causes of vision loss in diabetics. Diabetic retinopathy develops when high blood sugar levels damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina. When the vessels are damaged, they start to leak blood and fluid into the eyes, affecting vision.
Normally, diabetic patients don't experience any signs in the early stages, so when the symptoms manifest, the individual will have likely lost some of their vision. Most diabetic patients have a higher chance of developing this condition, so it's better to get regular screenings and treatment early.
To learn more, contact a diabetic eye treatment service such as Northwest Ophthalmology.
There are a number of medical professionals who you should be seeing on a regular basis, but one that tends to be forgotten about is the optometrist. Even if you do not have trouble seeing clearly, it's a good idea to get an eye exam every year or two, just to ensure nothing is amiss. After all, optometrists do more than prescribe glasses. They can also diagnose conditions like glaucoma and cataracts, which are easier to manage when detected early.
If you would like to learn a little more about what happens when you see the optometrist and why this is so important, read the articles on this website. They're all dedicated to optometry and eye health.