What Eye Diseases Are Linked to Diabetes?
Diabetic Retinopathy & Diabetic Macular Edema
High blood sugar may damage the blood vessels connected to the retina. This type of damage is called diabetic retinopathy, and it is the most common diabetic eye disease.
Severe diabetic retinopathy can cause swelling in the macula (a part of your eye that controls central vision). This complication is called diabetic macular edema. A swollen and damaged macula can cause irreversible central vision loss, affecting your ability to perform everyday tasks such as driving and reading. It can also impair your ability to recognize other people’s faces.
Glaucoma
Open-angle glaucoma is more than twice as common for adults with diabetes than for those without it. This common form of glaucoma occurs when pressure accumulates within the eye and damages the optic nerve.
There are many other forms of glaucoma, but most show no apparent symptoms before permanent vision loss begins. Complete eye exams usually include glaucoma tests to detect early warning signs so your eye doctor can take steps to manage this severe disease.
Cataracts
Most of the time, the lenses in our eyes are clear. However, clouds can form on the lenses and prevent us from seeing clearly. These clouds are called cataracts.
Everyone’s risk of developing cataracts increases with age, but they are even more likely to appear in people who have diabetes. Eye exams allow your eye doctor to diagnose cataracts before they compromise your vision. Once cataracts have been diagnosed, they can often be surgically removed.
