Eyes on the Prize: Navigating Diabetic Eye Health

Diabetic eye disease is a growing problem due to the increasing number of people with diabetes. It is a serious complication of diabetes that can lead to vision loss and blindness if left untreated.

The most common diabetic eye disease is diabetic retinopathy, which is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina.

The most common diabetic eye disease is diabetic retinopathy, which is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina. 

Here are some statistics on diabetic eye disease in the United States:

• People with diabetes have a 25 times higher risk of blindness than people without diabetes.
• People who have diabetes for a long time and have poorly controlled blood sugar levels may develop a disease in the retina called diabetic retinopathy. It is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults.
• Glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye disorders occur earlier and more often in people with diabetes.
• Diabetic retinopathy is projected to affect 16 million people with diabetes by 2050.

Diabetic retinopathy starts with some bleeding in the retina. As the condition progresses, leakage of fluid into the retina may lead to swelling of the surrounding tissue, including the macula, which is in the center of the retina. The swelling of the macula leads to diabetic macular edema. This is not intended to scare you… because diabetes retinopathy is preventable, and when detected early it can even be reversible, with good diabetes control.

When this eye disease starts, there are often no symptoms. Even in the middle stages of this eye condition, patients may not know they have it, so we want to emphasize the importance of having yearly eye exams and managing your diabetes.  Early detection and treatment can help prevent or delay damage to other areas of the body, including the nervous system, heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys.

If you have diabetes, it’s important to get regular annual eye exams to detect any signs of diabetic eye disease early on when it is still reversible and treatable.  Please consult Dr. Rodríguez for more information.