Diabetic people are at risk of contracting vision problems. This is why diabetic people should keep up with their routine eye checkups. Sometimes people learn that they have diabetes from a regular eye checkup. The optician can see signs of high blood sugar in the eyes sometimes before the patient has been officially diagnosed with diabetes. Some eye problems such as blurry vision, headaches, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinopathy are related to diabetes.
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye condition that is tied to diabetes. The retina is positioned at the back of the eye, and it hosts the light-sensitive layer and most of the blood vessels that feed the eye. Too much blood sugar causes these blood vessels to burst, bleed into the eye and cause dark spots and blurred vision. If left untreated, they develop into macular degeneration, cataracts, or glaucoma.
The macular is the center part of the retina. It is responsible for clear vision. For diabetic people, blood vessels in the retina bulge and bleed into the retina. Some abnormal ones grow in the place of the broken ones causing pressure in the retina. This causes the macular to swell and obstruct the optic nerve. Macular edema can cause blurred vision and blind spots.
Cataracts are formed when the soft lens of the eye develops a hard cloudy layer. Cataracts are a problem of advanced age in most cases. However, diabetic people are at a high risk of getting them. This is because the excess glucose seeps into the clear lens of the eye and forms hard deposits over time.
Glaucoma is a condition that affects the optic nerve. If the optic nerve is damaged due to high pressure in the eye, it results in glaucoma. Hypertension and high blood sugar can cause abnormal blood vessels to develop in the retina. They tamper with the drainage of the eye, and pressure starts to build up. This affects the optic nerve causing diabetic glaucoma.
Excess blood sugar leads to abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina. Sometimes due to the bursting and development of new ones, scarring develops in the retina. They pull on the retina, causing a traction retinal detachment.
A proper diagnosis of diabetic eye diseases is made with a comprehensive and dilated eye exam. The optician will check for abnormal growth of blood vessels. The patient is also examined for scar tissue, fat deposits in the retina, and abnormality in the optic nerve. The optician also checks for bleeding in the retina, retinal detachment, or evidence of cataracts. You get a vision test and a measurement of eye pressure and blood sugar levels. The results of these exams help the optician to evaluate your case.
Treatment depends on the type of symptoms that the patient has. The first step is to keep tabs on the blood sugar. Maintaining stable blood sugar can reduce some of the symptoms. The doctor monitors the signs and advises on the ones that need treatment right away. Injecting medication in the eye keeps the abnormal blood vessels under control. Severe symptoms such as macular edema, retinal detachment, and cataracts require surgical intervention, mainly using lasers.
To know more about diabetic eye disease, visit Today's Vision at our office in Laguna Niguel, California. You can also call (949) 518-0055 to book an appointment today.