Diabetes and Your Eyes
November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and at Milwaukee Eye Care, we believe it’s important.
So, what’s the connection between diabetes and the eyes? The fact is that this disease puts a person at high risk of devastating vision loss.
Diabetic Retinopathy is a complication of diabetes. High blood sugar caused by diabetes can damage the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina. Over time, this can result in a number of problems, including swelling in the retina, bleeding inside the eye, and even retinal detachment. All of these problems carry a risk of permanent blindness.
When you have a comprehensive eye exam, this is one of the conditions for which you will be screened, especially if there is a personal or family history of diabetes. Persons who have well-controlled blood sugar do not necessarily develop diabetic eye disease, but they do need to monitored and examined regularly, typically once per year.
Normally, diabetes is diagnosed by your family physician or internist, but in some cases we have diagnosed the disease through an eye exam. So make an appointment to have a comprehensive eye exam, especially if you have or are at risk of developing diabetes.
Written by Bart W., Technician with Milwaukee Eye Care
