Diabetes is a dangerous condition because it can undermine fundamental structures in your body, including the tiny blood vessels and nerves in your eyes. As a result, your vision is at risk.
At Advanced Lasik in the Midtown East section of New York City and Long Beach, California, experienced ophthalmologist Dr. Randa Garrana specializes in diagnosing the effects of high blood sugar on your vision, particularly diabetic retinopathy.
However, this isn’t the only eye disease associated with diabetes. Today, we’ll look a diabetic retinopathy and three other ways diabetes can damage your eyes and impair your vision.
The presence of high levels of sugar in your blood is bad news for virtually every system in your body. Blood glucose directly damages blood vessels and nerve tissue, two main players in your body’s health protection network.
Your eyes win no free pass from the effects of diabetes. In fact, when you have diabetes, you face threats to your vision in several ways. Diabetes-related conditions are the leading cause of blindness in Americans of working age.
The retina is the section at the back of your eye upon which light falls and images form. Simply put, it’s where your eyes convert light into signals to be delivered to your brain, where they’re interpreted as the things you see. Tiny blood vessels in the retina keep its cells healthy.
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood glucose levels begin to damage these blood vessels. Damage from diabetes can lead to blurry vision, dark spots and floaters, and various levels of vision loss.
Sometimes, as part of a cascade effect from diabetic retinopathy, the retina may detach from the rear wall of the eye. This can significantly distort your vision as well as causing sudden floaters, spots, flashes of light, and severe loss of vision. The visual signals of a detached retina should be treated as a medical emergency.
A group of related eye conditions, glaucoma can stem from diabetic retinopathy too. Called neovascular glaucoma, this condition involves the formation of new, abnormal blood vessels that interfere with the eye’s normal drainage, leading to ever-increasing pressure within the eye. Without treatment, glaucoma can lead to blindness.
The lens tissue at the front of your eyes can break down, becoming cloudy and causing issues like blurred vision, increased glare, and reduced night vision. People with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts at a younger age compared to people without diabetes.
Reducing the risk of diabetes-related vision loss starts with careful control of your blood sugar levels. Having regular comprehensive eye exams is a key part of diabetes management.
Are you worried about diabetic vision changes? We can help. Early detection leads to effective treatment. Call or click online to schedule a visit at Advanced Lasik in Midtown East, New York City, or Long Beach, California, today.
