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Diabetes And Eye Diseases
Diabetic eye diseases are becoming more common as the rate of diabetes increases. There are more cases of diabetes today than there have ever been before. This is largely due to the increase in obesity and the terrible foods that have become a large part of the modern diet. Diabetic retinopathy is only one of many diabetic eyes diseases. There are many cases where people suffering from diabetes have developed vision loss. Some of the more serious cases of diabetes have even lead to blindness. Diabetes can lead to retinopathy, cataracts and even glaucoma. One of the earliest potential eye diseases that can develop in people with diabetes is the cataract. Cataracts will cause cloudy vision in the lens of the eye. Most diabetics who suffer from eye diseases will experience symptoms of this disease before any other. However, some patients may not develop cataracts and instead develop glaucoma, which causes a build up of fluids in the eye. These fluids can damage the nerves in the eye and cause vision loss.
What Are The Symptoms Of Diabetic Retinopathy?
Though cataracts usually occur more quickly among people with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is the more common eye disease. Diabetic retinopathy is the number one cause of adult blindness. The diabetes will actually cause changes in the blood vessels that can be damaging. Symptoms of this disease will often vary from patient to patient. For instance, some people will suffer from inflated blood vessels. When the blood vessels inflate then they will begin to leak fluid. This can cause clouded vision and vision loss. Other patients with retinopathy may experience new blood vessels that grow on the retina’s surface. The retina is very sensitive and can be damaged easily. A fully functioning retina is necessary to maintain clear vision. Many people with diabetic retinopathy will not even notice that they have the disease. This is because the effects take a certain amount of time to become evident. The longer the disease remains then the worse the effects will become. Retinopathy effects both eyes equally and can be devastating to the sufferer.
The Stages Of Diabetic Retinopathy
This disease begins with small aneurysms in the eye. This comes in the form of small amounts of swelling in the blood vessels. The next major phase of this disease occurs when the most important blood vessels begin to swell. These are the blood vessels that provide nourishment to the eyeball. When this occurs then the retina will no longer remain healthy and can become damaged. These phases result in what is called proliferative retinopathy. This occurs when the eyeball attempts to grow new blood vessels to replace the damaged ones. The new vessels and the old vessels build up. The new vessels are fragile and often leak blood which can cause cloudiness of vision. If you have diabetes and are concerned about eye diseases then you should talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Detecting an eye disease quickly is the best way to prevent any serious effects.
