Diabetes and Your Eye Health

People with diabetes should have their eyes examined at least once a year. There are usually no symptoms or pain of Diabetic Eye Disease until it becomes severe. Between 40 - 45 percent of diabetic people have some form of diabetic retinopathy. There are several complications that may result in those with diabetes, such as:

• Diabetic Retinopathy - This is the most common diabetic eye disease, and is a leading cause of blindness in (American) adults. This affects the retinal blood vessels in which some may swell and leak fluid, or abnormal new blood vessels may grow on the retinal surface. Each symptom gone untreated can result in vision loss or even blindness.

• Cataracts - Clouding of the lens. They can develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes than they normally would in non-diabetic people.

• Glaucoma - Increase of fluid pressure within the eye that can damage the optic nerve. Diabetic people are twice as likely to develop glaucoma.