Understanding the Connection Between High Blood Sugar and Eye Diseases

Understanding the Connection Between High Blood Sugar and Eye Diseases

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by increased blood sugar levels over an extended period of time. When most people think of its long term effects, complications related to eyesight don’t come to mind very often. This is due to the simple fact that Diabetes is associated with the pancreas and its function of producing insulin. Even so, the fact is that Diabetes affects the ability of the blood vessels to carry oxygen throughout the body, which affects the eyes the most. It is estimated that almost 34.2 million people in the US alone have diabetes, 80% of which will be diagnosed 10 years later with an eye disease caused by the health condition. Such numbers make it all the more important for diabetic patients to be aware of early symptoms and take special precautions to look after their eyes.

Diseases Resulting from Unmanaged Diabetes

Diabetic Retinopathy is a condition where damage occurs to the retina due to diabetes. It is the leading cause of blindness in the US and affects up to 80% adults who have had diabetes for more than 20 years. Contemporary medical technology and procedures can help prevent blindness, if a patient commits to regular eye exams.

Macular edema happens when liquid and protein stores gather on or under the macula of the eye (a yellow focal region of the retina) and makes it thicken and swell (edema). The expansion may twist an individual’s focal vision.

Cataracts are one of the most common eye diseases caused by clouding of the eye lenses. The “cloudiness” occurs due to the accumulation of protein or a yellow brown pigment in the lens that blocks the light falling on the retina in the back of the eye and if left unchecked can lead to a need for a cataract surgery.

Glaucoma is caused due to failure of the eye to drain natural fluid (caused by underlying diabetes) which puts too much pressure on the inner area of the eye. A glaucoma special might suggest a glaucoma laser surgery as a solution to unchecked glaucoma.

There are some common symptoms for which diabetic patients need to be on the lookout to prevent or diagnose early any eye disease. These include vision blurriness, difficulty perceiving colors, floating spots and darker areas in your vision, blurred vision located at the center of the visual field, difficulty reading, fading or yellowish color perception, reduced visual acuity at night, higher sensitivity to lights or glare, and constant changes in eyeglasses prescriptions. A condition like Glaucoma might not even have any symptoms, which is why it is important to get regular eye check ups.

The risk of diabetes related eye diseases is directly proportional to the length of time a patient has had diabetes. Medical professionals advise all diabetic patients to get an annual eye examination, especially when there is poor blood sugar control. The exams should ideally begin as soon as diabetes is diagnosed or 5 years after diagnosing type 1 diabetes in children. Doctors also recommend managing Diabetic ABCs meaning your A1c, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Patients must quit smoking and alcohol consumption must be reduced. The sooner patients introduce these fundamental changes in their lifestyles, the smoother their day to day life living with diabetes becomes.

Expert eye doctors at Texas Eye and Cataract are readily available to answer all questions related to diabetes and available treatment procedures. Call (469)-505-2020, Monday to Friday, 9:00AM to 5:00 PM to book an appointment. You can also write to us at info@teceyecare.com