Why are annual eye examinations important for diabetics?

There is a higher risk of your sight being affected if you have diabetes. You will be less likely to have problems or they could be less serious if your diabetes is well controlled. However, should complications occur, the result could lead to a loss of sight.

Most loss of sight caused by diabetes can be prevented, but the key is to get it diagnosed early. This can only be detected by a detailed eye examination therefore, regular, annual eye examinations are extremely important, especially as you may not realize that there is anything wrong with your eyes until it is too late.

How the eye works

To understanding how diabetes affects the eye, it is worth looking at how the eye works.

Your eye has a lens and an opening (aperture) at the front - the pupil. The pupil adjusts to bring objects into focus on the retina at the back of the eye. The retina is made up of a delicate tissue and a network of tiny blood vessels which are sensitive to light.

At the centre of the retina is the macula, which is about the size of a pinhead. This vital part of the retina allows you to see fine detail for activities such as reading, writing and also recognizes colors. The other parts of the retina give you peripheral vision. In front of the retina is a clear jelly-like substance called the vitreous gel.

How can diabetes affect the eye?

Diabetes can affect the eye in a number of ways, the most serious being diabetic retinopathy which affects the network of blood vessels lying within the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is usually graded on its severity and there are three main stages – Background Diabetic Retinopathy, Maculopathy and Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Background diabetic retinopathy

This condition is common for those who have had diabetes for a long time and poses no threat to your sight. The retina’s blood vessels are only mildly affected. They may bulge slightly (microaneurysm) and may leak blood (haemorrhages) or fluid (exudates) but the macula remains unaffected.

Maculopathy

Should the background diabetic retinopathy become more severe, the macula area may become involved and this is called maculopathy. This will affect your central vision will gradually get worse and the amount of central vision lost can vary. However, peripheral vision will be preserved. Maculopathy is the main cause of loss of vision but it is rare for someone with maculopathy to lose all their sight.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy

As the eye condition progresses, the blood vessels in the retina can become blocked. If this happens then new blood vessels form in the eye and this is the body’s way of repairing itself to give the retina a new blood supply. This is called proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Unfortunately, these new blood vessels are weak and in the wrong place, growing on the surface of the retina and into the vitreous gel. These new blood vessels can bleed very easily and cause scar tissue to form in the eye. This scarring pulls and distorts the retina causing retinal detachment. The bleeding or retinal detachment can cause sudden or severe visual loss. Without treatment, proliferative retinopathy can case total loss of vision but with treatment, sight-threatening diabetic problems can be prevented if caught early enough. However, it is worth bearing in mind that laser treatment will not restore vision already lost.

What can I do to reduce the risk of sight loss from diabetes?

It has been shown that excellent control of diabetes and monitoring / treating high blood pressure significantly reduces potential sight threatening complications.

Ensure that you have your regular (usually annual) diabetic check ups at your clinic or hospital where they will monitor / measure you sugar control and blood pressure. Should this expose a problem they will guide you to the best course of action.

Diabetic smokers are more likely to experience nerve damage, kidney and cardiovascular disease and smoking increases your blood pressure and raises your blood sugar level. Not smoking, good sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol control can all reduce the risk of diabetes related sight loss.

Your physician, diabetologist or optometrist can examine your eyes for diabetic retinopathy. Photographs of the retina can detect abnormalities without any other form of test and if a problem is found you will be referred to a consultant ophthalmologist.

What is the treatment?

If detected early the majority of sight-threatening problems caused by diabetic retinopathy can be managed by laser treatment. This treatment will preserve the sight you have but will not make it better. The laser seals the leaking blood vessels or if new blood vessels are growing, more extensive laser treatment will be carried out which can be quite painful. Many people find eye treatment of this kind quite distressing.

The treatment for sealing blood vessels has few side effects, perhaps a temporary reduction of sight which may last an hour or two after the treatment and maybe some loss to central vision or some small black spots in your vision.

A more common side effect is some loss to your peripheral vision which could affect your ability to drive safely. Night and color vision may also be affected.

Occasionally your central vision may not be as good as before.

Laser treatment to remove new blood vessels is more complicated and therefore carries more chance of side effects.

Should you suffer severe pain or if your eyesight gets worse post treatment, you should contact your eye specialist immediately. If this is not possible, go straight to your nearest hospital.

After laser treatment, should your eye condition become more severe, causing retinal detachment and scar tissue, or if the vitreous becomes cloudy due to recurrent bleeding, you will need an operation called a vitrectomy. This highly specialized operation will involve the vitreous being removed and replaced with a clear solution.

Other ways diabetes can affect the eyes

Temporary blurring

This can be one of the first symptoms of diabetes or if your diabetes is not well controlled. It is due to a swelling of the lens of the eye and will clear without treatment once good diabetes control is restored.

Cataracts

This very common eye condition happens as people get older but someone with diabetes may develop cataracts at an earlier age than someone without diabetes because diabetes is an aging disease. Until recently, the only treatment offered for those suffering with cataracts involves an operation to remove the cloudy lens and replaced by a plastic lens.

Can-C eye drops are already being used by thousands of people suffering with cataract to dissolve their cataracts rather than going under the knife.

But Can-C eye drops are also an excellent weapon in combating diabetic eye conditions. If you are at risk of contracting diabetes or you are a diabetic or one of your loved ones has this terrible aging disease, consider the importance of maintaining good eye health. In between your regular eye check ups you could protect your eyes against potential eye problems with Can-C from as little as 57 cents a day. A daily administration can keep your eyes healthy and gives your eyes the best fighting chance against some of the horrific conditions associated with this century’s epidemic – diabetes.

We offer Can-C eye drops from an amazing $34.95 which we believe to be the best value anywhere. Your order will usually be dispatched within 24 hours and you should receive your order within 5 working days.