The Link between Diabetes and Eye Care.
Dr. Mark Rasmussen, OD Ultimate Eyecare Santa Fe 1651 Galisteo St. Suite 1 505.983.7743 Ultimateeyecaresantafe.com
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Diabetes can affect your eyes in different ways. When your blood sugars are high or when you start insulin treatment, you may experience blurry vision or other vision problems. But your eyes may be damaged even if you don’t notice any changes. Don’t wait for symptoms to arise to get your vision checked!
Diabetes can increase your risk of eye problems. Your blood sugar (glucose) levels may be high because your body can’t make or use insulin properly. Too much blood sugar can build up and damage nerves and blood vessels in your body. When damage happens to the blood vessels in your eyes, this can lead to vision loss or blindness. Anyone with diabetes is at risk, so it is important to get routine eye exams.
The retina senses light coming into your eye and sends messages to your brain about the things you see. When blood glucose builds up, the blood vessels inside the retina may be damaged. This is called diabetic retinopathy. At first, you may not notice any changes, but over time, these blood vessels may develop fragile defects in the blood vessel walls, which can leak fluid. With advanced diabetes, fragile blood vessels grow throughout the retina. This can lead to severe vision loss and even blindness.
ovember was Diabetes Awareness Month. Dr. Mark Rasmussen, OD of Ultimate Eyecare Santa Fe has been serving the community for nearly 30 years, and would like to give you some expert advice on diabetes.
Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy include how well you control your blood sugar and blood pressure. Control of blood cholesterol may also help reduce the risks. Your chances of developing diabetic retinopathy increase the longer you have diabetes. You can help prevent eye problems by keeping your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol under control. A major study found that people with diabetes who managed their diabetes intensely had one fourth the rate of diabetic retinopathy as those who followed standard diabetes treatment. It also helps to stop smoking. It is very important to get an annual dilated eye exam to detect early signs of the disease.