Diabetes is the most common chronic disease affecting people of all ages these days. Diabetes is the most common cause of blurred vision. It could also initiate cataracts that could start from a very young age also as well as glaucoma is also most common in diabetics. If you are diabetic and start feeling symptoms like blurred vision you must get your eye examination done as soon as possible and should control your blood sugar levels too with proper diabetes treatment that includes medication and lifestyle modification. If you have diabetes you must get your eye examination done at regular intervals and must follow the advice of your eye specialist.

Diabetic eye disease

Diabetic eye disease includes eye problems that usually affect people suffering from diabetes. This could include eye issues like Cataracts, Glaucoma, and Diabetic Retinopathy. Along with uncontrolled diabetes, if you have high blood pressure that is ignored and not treated, high cholesterol levels, and a habit of smoking the risk of developing eye problems increases.

Symptoms of diabetic eye disease

During the initial stages, there are no symptoms. However, if diabetes is not treated well the symptoms developed are as follows –

1. Blurring of vision

2. Double vision, is usually in one eye

3. Unimproved vision with new pair of glasses

4. Poor color vision

5. Loss of vision

6. Light flashes

What is the first warning sign of Diabetic Eye disease?

Blurred vision, usually is the first warning sign in diabetics that should not be ignored. Sometimes it is non serious, but sometimes it could lead to serious complications like blindness.

Diabetes and Eye

Diabetes is one of the leading causes, that could affect the eyes and thus it is important to get an eye examination as soon as any of the above symptoms starts with proper eye examination and proper diabetes treatment.

1. Blurred vision is a major symptom that needs to be taken seriously. The short-term blurring of vision could have many other reasons too other than diabetes but if it is due to uncontrolled diabetes, stabilizing the sugar levels could improve the symptom.

2. Very low blood sugar levels also cause short-term blurred vision.

3. When diabetes is uncontrolled for the long term, the small blood vessels are damaged and thus damaging the retina. This could lead to blurring of vision.

Other Eye problems caused by Diabetes

1. Cataract –  Any person with or without diabetes could develop cataracts but people with diabetes have a higher tendency of developing cataracts. When the eye lens gets cloudy and you are not able to focus on fine details along with blurred vision you should contact your eye specialist.

2. Glaucoma – The damage to the blood vessels and nerves of the eye caused due to the build-up of pressure in the eye ultimately leading to fluid accumulation and improper drainage of fluid could cause blurred or double vision, pain in eyes, watery eyes, or halos around lights. It should be diagnosed and treated on time as the progression could cause vision loss.

3. Diabetic Retinopathy – Long-term uncontrolled diabetes, damage small blood vessels in the retina thus causing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy if not treated on time could cause vision loss.

When is the eye examination required?

Annual eye examination in diabetics is really helpful in the early diagnosis and treatment of eye problems. But it is important to consult your eye specialist if you feel symptoms like blurred vision, flashes of light, or double vision in one eye.

Your doctor would carry your dilated eye examination, wherein with the eye drops they would dilate the pupil and do the full and detailed eye examination which also includes checking the pressure in both the eyes and checking the vision of both the eyes.

Diabetics – Eye Exam Guidelines

Type 1 –  Within 5 years of diagnosis, a yearly examination should be done.

Type 2 – As soon as the diagnosis is done, the yearly examination should be started

Pregnancy – Pregnant women with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, should carry out eye examination before planning for pregnancy or in the first 3 months.

Treatment for eyes

The treatment depends on the type of eye disease you are diagnosed with.

1. Eye injection with medication – To prevent the abnormal growth of blood vessels anti-VEGF medication is injected into the eye. It has medicine like Bevacizumab , Ranibizumab . The eyes are numb to prevent pain and the medicine is injected with a very fine needle into the eye. This treatment prevents fluid leakage and also improves eye vision.

2. Cataract surgery – Surgery is indicated in patients who have developed a cataract. The cataract is removed by replacing the cloudy lens with an artificial lens thus improving vision.

3. Laser treatment – To prevent the progression of eye disease, and vision loss laser surgeries are recommended. However, the eye injections (anti-VEGF) treatment approach is better to bring back vision loss. Laser treatment could be done for Glaucoma.

Diabetes treatment

1. Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, the chances of development of eye problems increase. It is important to get a regular eye examination done and to maintain a check on blood sugar levels.

2. Control your blood sugar levels by maintaining a healthy weight, taking your medications on time, refraining from smoking, and maintaining good cholesterol levels with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

3. Regular screening is important for eyes as well as for diabetes to prevent further complications.

Dr Jyotsana Anand Suri
Certified medical content writer
Email: jyotsana789@gmail.com

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