Diabetes can wreak havoc on all your entire body, especially your eyes. If you are worried about how your eyes are handling your diabetes, you should go see an eye doctor so that they can check out your eyes and make sure that they are healthy. One big worry for diabetics and their eyes is diabetic retinopathy. This problem affects many diabetics, both type 1 and type 2. If you have diabetes, talk to your eye doctor about diabetic retinopathy and what you can do about it.
Retina
Your retina is a bit of tissue at the back of your eyes that is light sensitive. When you look at something, the light bounces off that object, into your eye, and onto the retina. Your retina acts as a movie screen of sorts. You look at the object and the image is funneled back to your retina, where it is then translated into electrical signals that get sent to the vision part of your brain. Your brain then takes those electrical impulses and translates them into an image of whatever you're seeing. So if you are looking at a blue widget, the image of the blue widget will be sent to your retina, where it will turn into electrical impulses describing the object, and your brain will decide that it is seeing a blue widget.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy happens because the blood vessels in your retina get blocked by high blood sugar. The blocked blood vessels can cause certain parts of your retina to not work as well. The blood vessels can end up not only blocked, but also inflamed. That inflammation can cause the blood vessels to actually burst. If they burst, that part of the retina isn't going to work nearly as well as it should. Diabetic retinopathy can cause blurry vision, and in the worst case, it can even cause blindness.
Diagnosis
The best way to avoid diabetic retinopathy is to make sure that your blood sugar levels stay within a normal range. But, if you think it is too late for that, you should go see your eye doctor so that they can diagnose the issue. As a diabetic, you should be able to see your optometrist at least once a year. When you go see them, they will dilate your pupils so that they can look into them and see your retina. The doctor will be able to diagnose retinopathy that way if they think you have it.
If you are diabetic, it is important you get your eyes checked yearly. Getting them checked yearly can help prevent diabetic retinopathy.
Share27 December 2022
Growing up, one of my best friends was also my cousin. This special cousin and I shared something in common. We both had fiery red hair. When we were kids, many people thought we were sisters when they saw us together. Sadly, my cousin was born with crossed eyes, and because of her condition, she was often ridiculed by the other kids at school. As we grew older we began researching modern ways to correct her problem. Together we found the perfect solution. If you were born with crossed eyes, don’t despair. You do have hope. On this blog, you will discover the latest treatments optometrists use to help cure a patient’s crossed eyes.
