Why You Need To See Your Eye Doctor if You Have Diabetes

Diabetes can do severe damage to all parts of your body. Your eyes are no exception to this, and in fact, can be even more susceptible to excess blood sugar.

If you don’t manage your diabetes and take care of your body, there’s a good chance diabetes could steal your vision. Your eye doctor can help you manage the visual symptoms caused by diabetes.

They can also tell you if the disease seems to be progressing based on what is happening in your eyes. Keep reading to learn why you need to see your eye doctor if you have diabetes.

Does Diabetes Affect Your Eyes?

Diabetes causes excess sugar to circulate throughout your body. This blood and fluid reach all your organs and tissue.

And it can damage your blood vessels as it flows through them. This damage does occur in the blood vessels in your eyes.

Diabetes can cause bulges, leaks, and ruptures in the vessels in your retinas. Without proper treatment, it can cause complete vision loss.

Does Diabetes Cause Any Eye Diseases?

If you have diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is one of the primary side effects you need to know. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication in your eyes caused by diabetes.

Excess blood sugar damages and weakens the blood vessels in your retinas. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely this damage becomes.

Eventually, it can cause the vessels to bulge and leak fluid into your eye. If this is happening in your eyes, you have diabetic retinopathy.

The bulging can cause visual distortions, but symptoms from expanding blood vessels are generally minor. However, once these blood vessels in your retina begin to leak, visual impairment is common.

The fluid leaks into your eye where it blocks light from reaching your retina, interrupting your eyesight. Also, as the blood vessels in your retina burst, your body grows new blood ones to replace them.

This phase of the disease is proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and it is more severe. The new blood vessels your body grows are weak from the start and apt to leak and burst as well. This feedback loop will continue until your eye doctor administers treatment.

How Do You Treat Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy, like diabetes, is a disease without a cure. The best you and your eye doctor can do is manage your symptoms and prevent proliferation once you have it.

They can stop new blood vessels from growing using injections called anti-VEGF injections. These injections prevent new blood vessels from growing in your eyes.

Besides that, the best thing you can do for diabetic retinopathy is to manage your diabetes. Maintaining low blood sugar is vital for managing diabetes in general.

That holds for your eyes. The less glucose in your blood, the more minor the damage is in your eyes. 

It’s also essential that you see your eye doctor regularly. If you have diabetic retinopathy, you should see them at least twice a year.

They will track the progress of diabetes in your eyes. This constant monitoring allows them to intervene with additional treatments when necessary. These treatments could save your eyesight.

Is it time for you to have an eye exam? Schedule an appointment at Vision Care of Maine in Bangor, ME, to ensure your diabetes is under control.