Diabetes can damage a patient’s valuable eyesight. But Dr. Elizabeth Seaquist, an endocrinologist at the University of Minnesota, says steps can be taken to reduce the chances of vision problems in patients.
What is the key to maintaining healthy vision? It’s controlling blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
Many studies have shown that “patients with better blood sugar control are less likely to have vision problems,” Seaquist said. “Doctors believe that there is a range of blood glucose levels that reduce the chance of vision problems in people with diabetes, and that patients need to work to keep their blood glucose levels within that range. This is very important.”
Seaquist said it is also important to control blood pressure levels. High blood pressure can increase the risk of retinopathy, which can affect eye health.
The retina is the layer of nerves at the back of the eye that transmits images to the brain, and high blood sugar can damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina. This type of damage is called diabetic retinopathy. This causes the blood vessels in the retina to thin and allow fluid to leak out. In some people, abnormal blood vessels can grow on the surface of the retina. If left unchecked, diabetic retinopathy can lead to impaired vision.
“Usually the first signs are found when an eye doctor does an exam,” Seaquist said. With regular visits, doctors can detect eye disease before patients notice any symptoms.
“The patient needs a dilated eye exam, which is usually done by someone who has experience treating retinal disease,” Seaquist said. The exam is usually performed by an ophthalmologist, but can also be performed by a qualified optometrist.
Examinations are performed once a year, or as prescribed by your doctor. “The changes that occur in the back of the eye due to diabetes are predictable,” Seaquist said. “So an eye doctor can perform an exam at a certain point in time and speculate on what changes will occur in that patient’s eyes the following year.”
If one does have diabetic retinopathy, doctors can offer many effective treatment options, including laser treatment to close leaking blood vessels, or laser treatment to prevent new leaking vessels from appearing. This treatment works best when done before bleeding begins, which is where routine eye exams are important. In addition, doctors may also inject medications into the eye to relieve inflammation and shrink the blood vessels that are causing the problem. Of course, doctors can also surgically remove blood from the eye to improve vision.
“The key is to treat the disease at the right point in its progression to prevent further vision loss,” Seaquist said.
Consult your doctor
- Have you treated many people with diabetes?
- How does diabetes affect vision? What kind of vision problems may occur?
- What blood glucose levels keep vision healthy?
- When should I have my next eye exam?
- What symptoms should I look for?
- What symptoms should I look for?
- What vision problems should I see my doctor for?
- Are there signs of diabetic retinopathy or other problems?
- Has the doctor had eye surgery?