Diabetes can have a significant impact on your eyes, often without any early symptoms. This means you might not realize there’s a problem until your vision is already at risk.
Here are the main eye conditions that diabetes can cause or worsen:
Cataracts
Cataracts develop when the eye’s lens becomes cloudy. Fortunately, they are usually treatable with surgery.
Glaucoma
The eye is filled with fluid, and when the pressure from this fluid increases too much, it can lead to glaucoma. If untreated, glaucoma can damage the optic nerve and potentially cause blindness.
Diabetic Retinopathy
The retina, a light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye, has tiny blood vessels that diabetic retinopathy can harm. While symptoms like blurred vision may appear, often there are no signs until the disease has advanced significantly, sometimes resulting in blindness.
Detecting these conditions early is crucial for effective management. The best way to catch them early is through a dilated eye exam. During this painless test, special eye drops are used to enlarge your pupils, allowing the doctor to carefully examine the back of your eyes. This exam can detect cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy early, when treatment is most effective.
Your eyesight is precious—if you have diabetes, make sure to schedule a dilated eye exam, and then have one every year after that.
