Diabetes can affect your eyes. Diabetic eye disease includes diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma. The most
common of these is diabetic retinopathy. People with diabetes are more likely to get cataracts at a younger age and
are twice as likely to develop glaucoma.
What is diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially vision-threatening condition in which the blood
vessels inside the retina become damaged. These damaged vessels can then leak,
bleed or scar and cause retinal detachment, hemorrhaging or swelling, conditions
that can affect vision. The longer you have diabetes, the greater your chance of
developing diabetic retinopathy.
Recommended Care
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, schedule a complete dilated eye examination at least once a year. More frequent
examinations are recommended if problems are detected.
Women with diabetes also should be examined if they are planning to become pregnant, early in the first trimester
of their pregnancy, and every one to three months during pregnancy because diabetic retinopathy can worsen much
more rapidly during pregnancy.
Good blood sugar control can slow the development of diabetic retinopathy and other complications of diabetes.
And early diagnosis of diabetes and diabetic eye disease can prevent complications.
Symptoms
There are often no symptoms in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy and your vision may not be affected until
the disease worsens. This is why you should have a routine exam once a year. You also should be examined
immediately if you experience new floaters or blurred vision that lasts more than a few days.
Treatment
An effective collaboration between you, your primary care physician and Dr. Farah is
necessary to make sure proper eye care and treatment is provided. The best treatment
is prevention by controlling blood sugar levels. Other treatments specifically for the eye
include eye drops, medications injected into the eye, laser procedures, or surgery. Ask
Dr. Farah about your diabetic eye disease and whether any of these treatments would
be recommended for you.