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Diabetic Eye Care
People with diabetes (both Type I and Type II) can experience many problems with their eyes including blurry vision, cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy. This is why it’s important for diabetics to maintain good health while carefully monitoring their blood sugar levels, blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. Below are some of the most common eye-related problems diabetics experience.
Cataracts
The lenses of the eye make it possible for you to focus on an image, much like the lenses of a camera. Cataracts cloud the normally clear lens with debris. While anyone can develop cataracts, diabetics are 60% more likely to develop this eye condition than non-diabetics and tend to get them earlier. People with cataracts experience blurriness in their vision, see less clearly with fewer details, and notice vibrant colors becoming dull. They can also be more sensitive to glare and light when reading or driving and may notice drastic changes in their eyeglass prescriptions.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma occurs when pressure builds up in the eye wherein the blood vessels that carry blood to the retina and optic nerve are damaged. This results in the gradual loss of vision. Diabetics are 40% more likely to suffer from glaucoma than non-diabetics. And the longer someone has had diabetes, the more common glaucoma is. People with glaucoma will slowly lose their peripheral vision. If the condition is not treated, vision can decrease until no vision remains.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy typically affects both eyes by damaging the blood vessels in the retina. In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy does not result in any noticeable changes in vision. But as it progresses, patients often notice their vision being blurry or distorted. This is due to retinal swelling from fluid leaking from the retinal blood vessels. As diabetic retinopathy continues to progress, objects may appear small or abnormally large. It is also common to notice “floating spots” or “floaters” in the line of vision. If left untreated, this disease can cause severe vision loss and even blindness.
Because an ophthalmologist can detect diabetic retinopathy in its early stages during a routine eye exam, it’s crucial that diabetics maintain regular visits to their ophthalmologists to ensure good eye health. The best measures to take are preventative as blood sugar control is the number one way to combat diabetic retinopathy. If the disease is in its final stage, laser treatments can be used to shrink the fragile blood vessels to help preserve any remaining sight.
Contact Us
If you’re diabetic and have noticed your vision is not what it used to be, we encourage you to schedule a visit with our Upper West Side ophthalmologist, Dr. Schottenstein for an examination. As an experienced Upper West Side and Chelsea eye care specialist, Dr. Schottenstein routinely provides expert treatments for diabetics experiencing problems with their vision. If you have any questions about diabetic eye care or would like to schedule an appointment with us, please contact our office today. We look forward to hearing from you soon!