Diabetes and Your Vision

In 2005 it was calculated that half a million people in the UK could be unaware they have diabetes. Diabetes can cause problems with your sight.

If you have diabetes this won't automatically mean that your sight will be affected, but there is a risk. If your diabetes is well controlled you have less chance of any problems, or they may be less serious. However if there are complications which affect the eyes then this can result in loss of sight.

Most sight loss due to diabetes can be prevented provided you are diagnosed early.

It is possible you wont realise there is any problem with your eyesight.

Regular eye checks are extremely important.

Cataract

This can occur in two forms:

• Young people with diabetes can develop a special type of cataract. Sight can be restored with surgery.
• Older people with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts. Cataracts can be removed and lens implant used. Unfortunately this is not suitable for everyone.

Types of Diabetic Retinopathy That damage your sight

The most serious diabetic eye condition involves the retina and is called diabetic retinopathy. It is more likely to affect long term diabetes sufferers.

Maculopathy

This happens when the blood vessels in the retina start to leak.

• This causes degradation to your central vision. Making it harder to identify people's faces in the distance or to see fine detail.
• Total loss of sight is very rare.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy

This happens if the blood vessels in the retina become blocked. The retina tries to repair itself by forming new blood vessels.

These new blood vessels bleed very easily and cause scar tissue to form in the eye.

This condition is rarer than background retinopathy and is more often found in people who have been insulin dependent for many years.

Proliferative retinopathy can cause total loss of vision.

Usually, if diagnosed early enough, sight-threatening diabetic problems can be prevented.

The importance of early treatment

Your sight can be affected without you realizing, or problems could be building up which cause sudden deterioration of your vision.

• Don't wait for vision to deteriorate before you have an eye test.
• Early diagnosis is the key to saving your vision
• Have an eye examination every year

Your family doctor, diabetologist or optometrist can examine for diabetic retinopathy.

Of course if you notice your sight deteriorating, It may just be a problem that can be corrected by glasses.