Diabetes and the Eyes

Regular visits to an ophthalmologist are highly recommended for those who have diabetes. High levels of blood sugar increases the risk of various eye and vision related problems. In reality, high blood sugar is the main cause of blindness in diabetic adults between the ages 20 – 75. If you are a diabetic who is experiencing eye problems such as blurred vision, then it is most likely a temporary problem caused due to high blood sugar levels.

When your blood has too much sugar, it causes the lens to swell up. This will alter your vision and result in various problems such as blurriness. In order to correct this type of problem, you will need to get your blood sugar back to the normal levels. It will take about three months to lower your blood sugar levels and to get your vision back to normal. However, this is a mild problem compared to the other risks.

There are three major eye conditions that diabetics have a high risk of developing. Retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts are much more likely to develop in diabetics and these are serious problems that can damage your vision permanently.

Cataracts are a type of foggy formation on the lens. While anyone can develop cataracts due to a number of reasons, diabetics are much more likely to develop them at an earlier age. Cataracts are also prone to progress faster in those with diabetes. Glaucoma is another serious eye problem that develops more commonly in diabetics. Neovascular glaucoma is particularly common in diabetics where new blood vessels grow in the iris, blocking the normal fluid flow in the eye. Diabetic retinopathy is another diabetes related complication that occurs in the small blood vessels in the eye.

It is very important that you schedule regular eye exams if you are a diabetic. Be sure to contact your ophthalmologist immediately if you are experiencing light flashes, blurriness and holes or black spots in your vision. Here, at Benaim Eye, we perform eye exams to diagnose a range of diabetes-related conditions and have a team of celebrated ophthalmologists to help you.