Diabetes is an extremely serious disease. When it is not properly cared for, it can cause a wide range of problems, including blindness and heart disease. However, it is not automatic that an individual’s diabetes is going to lead to problems with their eyesight. Diabetic eye disease and other complications of diabetes can be monitored and controlled before they result in vision loss. First and foremost, a person needs to get a comprehensive eye exam. From there, we can come up with a customized diabetic eye care treatment.
What happens to your eyes with diabetes? A diabetic person deals with a group of eye problems, and each one of these problems can lead to vision loss or blindness. For example, diabetes can lead to damage to the blood vessels in your eyes. It can lead to cataracts, which is a clouding of your eye’s lens. Diabetes can lead to glaucoma. This is an increase in the fluid pressure in your eye. As the fluid pressure in your eye grows, it puts stress on your optic nerve, and the end result is that you lose your vision.
The primary reason why diabetics have vision problems is because of damage to the blood vessels in their eyes. Diabetes changes the way that the blood vessels in the retina work. Over time, these blood vessels start to swell or leak fluid. In some cases, diabetes can lead to a person growing new blood vessels on the retina. Little by little, these problems lead to vision loss or blindness.
Here is the kicker about diabetic eye conditions: Many of them, such as damage to the blood vessels in the retina, do not show any symptoms when they are in their early stages. You do not experience any pain, and you do not see any changes in your vision until the disease gets to the point that it is so severe that the damage is almost irreversible. Part of a good diabetic eye care regimen involves preventing this from happening.
Macular edema can occur when a part of your retina starts to swell and leaks fluid. If abnormal blood vessels have grown on the surface of your retina, they could lead to bleeding in your eye, which blocks your vision. Or the disease can continue to advance without symptoms until out of seemingly nowhere your vision worsens or blindness ensues.
This is why it is especially important for individuals in the Wichita, Kansas area to find good diabetic eye care if they have been diagnosed with diabetes. It is essential that you get your eyes examined every single year.
At Wichita Vision Institute in Wichita, Dr. Patel will be able to check your eyes closely for signs of disease. Diabetes does not have to cost you your vision. Take steps to protect your vision now. You will be thankful that you did in the long run. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to learn more about your options regarding diabetic eye care.