How Diabetes Damages Your Eyes

Diabetes affects many important organs, including the eyes

. If you are diagnosed to have Type I or Type II diabetes, regular eye checkups are needed to prevent diabetes eye problems. The uncontrolled elevation of blood sugar due to insufficient production of insulin or insulin resistance in diabetics is harmful to the blood vessels that support the parts of the eyes essential for normal vision. According to statistics, diabetes eye problems are the primary cause of blindness in people ages 20 to 74.

The retina is the most common part of the eye damaged in people with diabetes. The retina is the lining at the back of the eyes. The function of the retina can be compared to that of a movie screen, which translates light rays into electrical signals transmitted to the brain. When the brain receives these signals, it translates into images and vision. A healthy retina is nourished by tiny blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen. In people with diabetes, their blood becomes so sticky because of too much blood sugar. The very viscous blood has reduced capacity to flow and thus needs high blood pressure. The increased pressure inside the blood vessels that forces the blood to flow causes diabetes eye problems.

Here are three eye problems frequently associated with being a type 2 diabetic:

Diabetic Retinopathy is the primary eye problem in people with diabetes. It starts with the increased pressure causing swelling and weakening of the blood vessels. It progresses to clogging and rupturing of the blood vessels rupture causing blood to leak, preventing light rays from reaching the retina. The leaked blood causes floating spots and even total darkness. As the progression of diabetes occurs for years, the weak and damaged blood vessels form scar tissues that detach the retina away from the back of the eye. Retinal detachment causes blindness, which is now the end point of diabetic retinopathy.

Glaucoma is an eye disease caused by damage to the optic nerve. In diabetes, glaucoma is caused by the increased blood pressure inhibiting the fluid in the eyes to drain. The pressure damages nerves and tissues in the eyes resulting to partial or total loss of vision in diabetics.

Cataract is a diabetes eye problem caused by clouding in the lenses. The lens is located at the front of the eyeball and functions like a camera. Cataract is often a degenerative disease that people usually acquire due to old age. But people with diabetes develops cataract at an earlier age than healthy people.

by: Jonathan Berns, DC

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