What you should know about Diabetic Eye Disease

Do you know that November is Diabetic Eye Disease awareness month?
Diabetic eye disease is a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face due to a complication of the disease. Anyone with diabetes is at risk of vision loss or blindness from diabetic eye disease.
Unfortunately, diabetic eye disease has no warning signs. However, early detection and timely treatment can help to reduce the risks. An annual, comprehensive dilated eye examination is one of the best ways to detect early signs of diabetic eye disease. Taking your diabetic medication, as prescribed, maintaining a healthy diet, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and refraining from smoking can also help to control your diabetes, which lessens your risks of diabetic eye disease.
Ways that diabetic eye disease may affect your eyes:
Cataract: Clouding of the lens of the eye.
Diabetic retinopathy: Damage to the blood vessels in the retina.
Glaucoma: Increases the fluid pressure inside your eye and leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision.
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease. And, the longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to get diabetic retinopathy.
The great news is that diabetic retinopathy can be treated to reduce the risk of blindness by 90 per cent, when detected early. Laser treatments have been used successfully for decades. More recently, medications have been developed, which greatly improve treatment options. As with all conditions, early evaluation and treatment yield the greatest success.
Based on a clinical trial by the DCCT (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial), controlling blood sugar levels slows the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy and the need for laser surgery with severe diabetic retinopathy is lessened.
It is a good idea to have an annual comprehensive eye examination, even if you do not suffer from diabetes and, especially if you’ve experienced any visual
problem.
If you suffer from diabetes, make sure you have a comprehensive eye examination with dilation each
year.