Diabetes and Blindness - Can Diabetes Really Cause Blindness?

Diabetes and Blindness - Can Diabetes Really Cause Blindness?

There are many myths surrounding diabetes, and it can be difficult to determine what is true and what is not. Many patients want to know whether diabetes is really making them blind. The fact is that the disease can certainly cause blindness and is a leading cause of blindness in adults. Equally important, however, is the recognition that proper examination and eye care can often prevent the condition from occurring.

The vision problem that causes blindness in diabetics is also known as retinopathy. Retinopathy is damage to the eye due to blood flow problems. It causes vision problems and, if untreated, leads to blindness.

If your blood sugar is not well controlled, the blood vessels in the eye become weak. This causes fluid to leak into the part of the eye responsible for vision. Eventually the blood vessels close and stop blood flow to the retina. As the disease progresses, new blood vessels form. These vessels are very fragile and bleed into the eyes, causing severe vision problems and blindness.

Retinopathy occurs in approximately eight percent of patients in the first three years, with statistics rising to a quarter after five years and rising to eighty percent after approximately fifteen years of being diagnosed with diabetes of any kind. These percentages are quite high, but they do not mean that the same percentage of patients will go blind. Instead, they point out the reasons why you should be tested annually for the problem.

If you have your vision checked annually, your eye doctor can detect retinopathy at an early stage. At this stage the condition is easily treatable. Controlling your blood sugar can also prevent the condition or delay its onset and progression. It is very important to contact your eye doctor if you notice any vision problems such as blurriness or blurred vision.

Blindness is still considered a side effect of diabetes, even though it is preventable. Many patients do not have their vision tested often enough or do not report symptoms. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, be sure to have annual vision tests. If retinopathy is diagnosed early, it can be treated before symptoms become permanent and severe. Your vision is very important to your quality of life. If you have vision problems or have not yet had your vision tested, seeking an eye exam is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Inspired by Pieter De Wet