Total Vision Eyecare
Diabetes
Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of this disease. It can cause severe vision loss or even blindness. Diabetic eye disease may include: Diabetic retinopathy - damage to the blood vessels in the retina, Cataract and Glaucoma.
Diabetic retinopathy
This disease is a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. These changes may result in vision loss or blindness.
The longer someone has diabetes, the more likely he or she will get diabetic retinopathy. Nearly half of all people with diabetes will develop some degree of diabetic retinopathy during their lifetime.
Symptoms
Generally there are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Vision may not change until the disease becomes severe. Pain may not be present. Blurred vision may occur when the macula - the part of the retina that provides sharp, central vision - swells from the leaking fluid. This condition is called macular edema. If new vessels have grown on the surface of the retina, they can bleed into the eye, blocking vision. But, even in more advanced cases, the disease may progress a long way without symptoms.
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