Diabetes Related Eye Disorders
Tagged Under : diabetic retinopathy, double vision, eye cataract, glaucoma
Diabetes or high level of sugar in the blood system can cause a lot of problem to your body system and which your eyes are not spared. The diabetic condition that presents in the body will gradually damage the eyes pace by pace which including lens, retina, optic nerve, vitreous and etc. The scariest part about this is most patients would not notice any of symptoms until it is too late. Most damages might have happened long before the patient detects any change or deterioration in the vision. That’s why diabetic eye damage is often refer to as ‘silent eye disease’ (apart from glaucoma).
Some of the vision problem that caused by diabetes include frequent vision fluctuations, reduced vision due to the damage of optic nerve, impermanent paralysis of eye muscles, diabetic retinopathy and double vision. Moreover, people with diabetes are more prone to developing eye cataract even at a very young age. Cataract is an eye disorder that develops due to natural aging process but for a diabetic patient it becomes a symptom of the diabetes itself.
As mentioned, diabetes can cause a lot of problem to the eyes but the most significant complication is none other than ‘diabetic retinopathy.’ The damages start with the tiny blood vessels that circulate the eyes and which this can lead to swelling, clogging, weakening and finally total loss of vision. Vision loss can also happen when the blood and fluid leak to the vitreous at the back of the eye and form scar tissues. When this happens, abnormal blood vessels might develop on the retina and which make the matter worse.
When this occurs, light will not be able reach the retina and this will result a complete darkness. Other symptoms that might happen under this condition include seeing flashing light, floating objects, blurry vision, rings or blank spots in the vision or even experiencing extreme pain and pressure in the eyes (this symptom also happens in glaucoma). Damages to the retina will often lead to double vision.
It may only be one of the eyes that is seriously affected or even both. Since diabetic patients are more prone to various eye problems, it is highly recommended that regular or scheduled eye care checkup be made. Early detection and treatment is crucial in delaying or reducing the symptoms of the problem.
Besides regular eye checks, a diabetic patient should also follow or monitor his or her diet strictly. Never consume food that high in calories and sugar as this will make thing worst but yet this is the hardest challenge that faced by most patients. Apart from healthy diet that specially formulated for diabetes, the patients should also avoid smoking and alcohol. These two have been identified as the contributing factors of eye cataract and glaucoma.
Cataracts and Diabetic Retinopathy
