{"id":7975,"date":"2020-09-22T12:35:50","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T12:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=7975"},"modified":"2021-07-26T09:47:07","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T09:47:07","slug":"4-ways-diabetes-can-affect-your-vision","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/guide-to-diabetes-and-the-eyes\/why-does-diabetes-cause-blurry-vision\/4-ways-diabetes-can-affect-your-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways Diabetes Can Affect Your Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diabetes can increase your risk of eye disease and permanent vision loss.<\/b><\/h2>\n

Diabetes affects the way your body regulates glucose (sugar), and prevents the glucose from being properly absorbed by your body\u2019s cells. When diabetes is not controlled properly, high concentrations of glucose remain in the bloodstream, threatening the integrity of the blood vessels throughout the body, and causing harm to different organs in your body.<\/p>\n

When diabetes affects the blood vessels in the eyes, vision loss and blindness can occur.<\/b><\/p>\n

In most cases, diabetes is associated with four different types of eye diseases, namely:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Diabetic retinopathy<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Diabetic macular edema<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Cataracts<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Glaucoma<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it is important to understand that frequent eye exams<\/a> play a critical role in the prevention of vision loss from diabetes-related eye diseases.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

    Follow your eye doctors advice on how often to schedule an eye exam.<\/p>\n

    Diabetic retinopathy and diabetes<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Over time, diabetes can damage the blood vessels in the retina in the back of the eye, causing a disease called diabetic retinopathy.<\/p>\n

    Diabetic retinopathy is the number one cause of vision loss among people with diabetes.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

    In its early stages, this disease is called nonproliferative<\/i> diabetic retinopathy. During these early stages, the blood vessels in the retina which have been weakened by the high concentrations of sugar in the blood, begin to leak fluid into the retina. As fluid sits in the retina, it causes blurred vision and other visual distortions.<\/p>\n

    In its later stages, the disease is called proliferative <\/i>diabetic retinopathy. During these stages, the retinal blood vessels begin to close and abnormal blood vessels are produced, threatening retinal detachment and vision loss.<\/p>\n

    Factors that can increase your risk of diabetic retinopathy include:<\/p>\n