What is diabetic eye disease?
Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems from diabetes that can cause severe vision loss or even blindness.
Diabetic eye disease may include:
- Diabetic retinopathy: damage to the blood vessels in the retina
- Cataract: clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataracts develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes
- Glaucoma: increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision. A person with diabetes is nearly twice as likely to get glaucoma as other adults.
What is diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In more advanced disease, abnormal new blood vessels may grow on the surface of the retina. These changes damage retinal tissue that can culminate in blindness.
Who is most likely to get diabetic retinopathy?
Anyone with diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy. The longer someone has diabetes, the more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy. Between 40-45 percent of diabetics have some degree of diabetic retinopathy. Therefore, if you have diabetes, you must have a dilated eye exam at least once a year by an ophthalmologist.
What are symptoms of diabetic retinopathy?
There are often no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Vision may not change until the disease becomes very advanced. Blurred vision may occur when the macula – the part of the retina that provides sharp, central vision – swells from the leaking fluid. This condition is called macular edema. If new vessels have grown on the surface of the retina, they can bleed into the eye, blocking vision or causing abrupt onset floaters. Even in advanced cases, the disease may progress a long way without symptoms. It is therefore essential for every diabetic to have at least an annual dilated examination.
Can diabetic retinopathy be treated?
Yes. However, treatment is more successful the earlier retinopathy is identified and the better you control your systemic disease.
Can diabetic retinopathy be prevented?
Your risk for developing disease can be greatly reduced. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) showed that better control of blood sugar slows the onset and progression of retinopathy and lessens the need for interventions.
