Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin nor utilizes the insulin that is produced effectively, resulting in elevated levels of sugar in the blood. These elevated sugar levels can cause blood vessels and the surrounding tissue to become swollen and leaky. The effect on the blood vessels are not limited to any one area of the body; it can effect every organ system if the blood sugar levels are not maintained to adequate levels as determined for that individual.The eyes are unique to the body for various reasons. They are one of the only places we can directly observe live blood vessels interacting with each other without the use of high-tech equipment such as MRI. The dilation process during an eye exam is necessary to properly evaluate the blood vessels in the eye and retina. This is an important process in the management of diabetes because if the effect of diabetes is occurring in the eyes, it is likely occurring elsewhere in the body.Diabetic eye disease can cause severe vision loss or blindness. The following is a list of the most common types of eye conditions seen with diabetes:
- Prescription changes – Elevated blood sugar can directly affect the lens in the eye by causing it to shrink and swell. High blood sugar levels are often consistent with a more near-sighted (myopic) shift, and low blood sugar levels are more consistent with a far-sighted (hyperopic) shift.
- Delayed corneal healing – This is especially important for diabetic patients who wear contact lenses. Minor abrasions and irritations to the corneal surface take longer to heal and place the patient at increased risk for eye infections, especially if the patient is abusing the wearing schedule or not using proper hygiene techniques to care for their contact lenses.
- Cataracts – This clouding of the eye’s lens develops more frequently and/or at an earlier age in people with diabetes.
- Glaucoma – An increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision. A person with diabetes is nearly twice as likely to get glaucoma as other individuals.
- Diabetic Retinopathy – This is the most significant cause of vision loss due to diabetes. It occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels will swell and leak fluid. In others, abnormal blood vessels will grow on the surface of the retina.
- Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.
- Diabetes is now the No. 1 cause of blindness in the 20 to 74-year-old age group in the U.S.
- An estimated 5,800 Americans lose their vision each year due to diabetic eye disease.
- Each day approximately 2,200 people in the United States are diagnosed with diabetes.
- Approximately 21 million children and adults – 7 percent of the population – have diabetes.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 50 million U.S. residents could have diabetes by the year 2050.
