Diabetes is a disease that affects far more than just your kidneys. It can also cause serious repercussions to your vision. That’s why the month of November is dedicated to raising the awareness of diabetic eye diseases.
Here are some of the harmful eye diseases that can occur as a result of diabetes:
- Diabetic retinopathy. Damage to the blood vessels of the retina can affect both eyes and cause vision loss.
- Glaucoma. Glaucoma is the increase of fluid pressure inside the eye, leading to optic nerve damage and resulting in vision loss. A person with diabetes is twice as likely to develop glaucoma.
- Cataracts. A diabetic patient is at risk for developing cataracts (clouding of the eye lens) at a much younger age.
Another thing you may not know is that your optometrist is able to treat your diabetic eye diseases and will be an essential part of your professional care team if you are diagnosed with diabetes (we sometimes even help detect diabetes before other professionals through routine eye exams). So be sure you’re coming in for your annual exam and getting the care you need to prevent and treat diabetic eye diseases.
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