Eye Disease
People with diabetes are at risk for three types of eye disease: retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. All of these can lead to blindness. And all can be avoided or lessened with treatment if detected early. Here are some startling statistics:
- People with diabetes are four times more likely to become blind than people without diabetes.
- Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in British adults.
- Eight percent of people who are legally blind lost their sight because of diabetes.
Retinopathy, the most common eye disease for people with diabetes, is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the retina. In some cases, these vessels may swell and leak fluid. As it worsens, abnormal new blood vessels may grow on the retina's surface, causing vision loss or blindness. Unfortunately, retinopathy is very common, especially for people who have had diabetes for many years.
Cataracts are another major cause of vision loss. If you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to get a cataract, which is the clouding of the lens of the eye. People with diabetes develop cataracts at an earlier age than people who do not have diabetes. Approximately 7% of people with diabetes develop cataracts. Cataracts can often be treated surgically, by replacing the eye lens with an artificial lens. It is very important to have an annual eye test so cataracts can be detected before they become severe.
Glaucoma Diabetes also increases the risk of glaucoma, which is an increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that damages the optic nerve and can lead to vision loss. 22% of people with diabetes have glaucoma, and it is more common in people with type 2 diabetes. Glaucoma can be treated with medications to reduce the fluid pressure in the eye. Laser or other types of surgery may also be effective. An annual eye test is critical in order to detect and treat glaucoma at an early stage.
Risk Factors For Eye Disease
The following groups are at an even higher risk of getting retinopathy:
- men with diabetes
- people with diabetes who have kidney disease
- pregnant women
These groups are at an increased risk of getting cataracts:
- people over age 60 with diabetes
- people who have had diabetes for many years
- people who have poor diabetes control
This group is at an increased risk of getting glaucoma:
- people with type 2 diabetes
Reducing Your Risk Of Eye Disease
You can greatly reduce your risk of diabetic eye disease by doing the following.
Practice Tight Control. As average blood sugar levels rise, so does the risk of retinopathy. The tighter your blood sugar control, the slower the onset and progression of retinopathy. A 10-year study called the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial ( DCCT) showed that those who practiced tighter control experienced 76% less eye damage than those who practiced standard control. Practicing tight control can also decrease your chances of getting cataracts.
Reduce Your Blood Pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of severe retinopathy, so if you reduce your blood pressure, you will decrease your risk of retinopathy.
Get An Annual Dilated Eye Test. People with diabetic eye disease often have no symptoms or pain until the disease becomes advanced. Your eye doctor can detect retinopathy before you have any vision impairment. The earlier retinopathy is diagnosed, the sooner you can start practicing tight control and receiving laser therapy to decrease the amount of eye damage your retinopathy will cause. It is important that the eye test involves dilation so the doctor can examine the blood vessels in the back of the eye (retina).
Treatment Of Eye Disease
Retinopathy. Laser surgery can effectively treat retinopathy by shrinking the abnormal vessels of the retina, repairing leaking vessels, or destroying those that can't be fixed. However, laser surgery is best used as a preventative measure. It often cannot restore vision that is already lost. That's why it is important to detect retinopathy in its earliest stages and treat it as soon as possible.
Cataracts. Cataracts can be treated by surgically replacing the lens of the eye with a plastic lens. This surgery restores vision 90-95% of the time.
Glaucoma. Treatment depends on the type of glaucoma. Eye drops, laser treatments, and laser surgery are often very successful.