Diabetes is a metabolic condition that causes your blood sugar levels to increase. When this happens, your blood becomes viscous, compromising its circulation to the different organs of your body. This can lead to various complications, including eye problems.
As we recently observed Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, we continue the discussion by sharing the different eye conditions related to diabetes.
Cataracts
Cataracts refer to the clouding of your eyes’ natural lenses. As a result, light rays have a hard time entering your eyes, compromising your eyes’ ability to focus on an image. While anyone can have them, studies show that those with diabetes usually develop cataracts earlier. This condition also worsens faster among diabetic patients. Cataracts can be removed surgically and then your eye care specialist may replace the cloudy lens with an artificial one.
Blurred Vision
High blood sugar levels can cause your eyes’ internal lenses to swell, giving you blurry vision. Blurred vision caused by diabetes may need more than wearing eyeglasses to correct. The key management is to keep your blood sugar at normal levels, so it’s important that you take your medications as prescribed by your doctor.
Diabetic Retinopathy
When you have diabetes, your blood becomes more viscous than normal, which may compromise blood flow in your body. Many organs, particularly the eyes, receive less oxygenated blood, impairing their functions. Your eyes will then come up with a compensatory mechanism by growing blood vessels.
However, your eye doctor explains that these new blood vessels easily break, causing blood to leak into your retina. The retina is responsible for converting light into signals that are sent to the brain. Any damage to it can cause changes in your vision, which may include blindness.
To avoid having diabetes-related eye complications, make sure to visit your eye care specialist regularly for a comprehensive eye exam. This way, we can monitor your eyes and identify potential problems early on. The sooner we diagnose these eyesight irregularities, the better we can manage them and prevent their progression.
To learn more about how diabetes affects your eyesight, call us at (717) 609-4443 or complete our form. We serve Chambersburg and nearby PA areas.