Diabetes can impact your vision and eye health in a variety of ways, increasing the risk of:
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic individuals are significantly more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the delicate blood vessels in our eyes weaken or swell, causing blood and fluid to leak. Though your eyes may try to compensate for blood vessel damage by growing new ones, these vessels are typically not as strong and prone to leaking.
As this condition progresses, the damaged blood vessels are unable to provide your retina with enough oxygen, causing portions of it to die.
Diabetic retinopathy does not show symptoms early in its development, but our optometrists can detect this disease by observing your retina during a comprehensive eye exam.
Diabetic Macular Edema
When you have advanced diabetes, there can be fluid accumulation under the macula, known as diabetic macular edema. This can lead to a loss of central vision.
Cataracts
Those with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts at a younger age than individuals who do not have diabetes.
Glaucoma
Individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma than those who do not have diabetes. Glaucoma does not show symptoms early in its development but can be detected during a comprehensive eye exam.
Other Issues
Diabetes can lead to other vision problems, including:
- Blurry or wavy vision
- Double vision
- Dark spots in vision or vision loss
- Poor colour vision
- Frequent prescription fluctuations
