Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness

November is Diabetic Eye Disease Month. This is definitely a topic that needs some attention. Diabetes is one of the most common health issues in the modern world. Here in America, about 38 million people—roughly 14 percent of the population—have diabetes. One thing that we want to help raise awareness about is the fact that diabetes can dramatically affect—and sometimes take—your vision. The risk of developing several very serious vision issues are greatly increased in those who have diabetes. Michael R. Young, O.D., a local Redding CA optometrist offers some insight on DED in this article.

What Is Diabetic Eye Disease?

Diabetic eye disease, as the name suggests, is a term for eye problems that diabetics are susceptible to. This isn’t a single disease, but rather a group of them. These include diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, cataracts, and glaucoma.

How Common Is Diabetic Eye Disease?

According to research by the CDC, nearly 10 million people here in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. Close to a fifth of them—or 1.84 million—were classified as having their vision threatened.

We can break down the numbers a bit here:

• Nearly nine million people that were 40 or older had DR. About 1.7 million younger than 40 had the condition.
• In regards to age differences, the risks increase with age. People that were under 25 were less likely to have DR: the numbers were only about 13 percent for that age group. For those between 65 and 79, nearly one in three (28%) had DR.
• Males are at higher risk than females. About .64 percent had DR, in comparison to .47 percent of women. The same proved true with vision threatening-DR. 2.74 percent of males were afflicted, in comparison to 1.94 percent of females.
• The group at highest risk is non-Hispanic blacks. They had the highest incidents of both DR (3.26%) and vision-threatening DR (1.11%).
• As far as states go, Massachusetts had the highest number of DR cases. Over 30 percent of its diabetics had been diagnosed with DR. Nevada had the distinct honor of having the lowest numbers: only about 20 percent of Nevadans with diabetes also had DR.

If you are diabetic, at risk of diabetes, be sure to visit your Happy Valley CA optometrist regularly.

How Do I Protect Myself From Diabetic Eye Disease?

The best way to manage your diabetes and keep your eyes healthy is to really stay on top of your health and wellness.

• Managing your blood pressure and blood sugar are two of the most effective things that you can do. Cholesterol is also important to monitor. In fact, these three things are often referred to as the ABCs of diabetes. The same basic general rules apply for all three: eat a healthy, nutritious diet, exercise regularly, and get plenty of water and rest. Of course, you’d want to get specific advice from your doctor.
• Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, look into available resources for quitting.
• Have a thorough eye evaluation —including a dilated eye exam—done by your Redding CA  eye doctor every year. These exams often reveal minor changes long before they affect your vision or cause noticeable symptoms.  

Why Is Diabetic Eye Disease So Dangerous?

Any eye condition is concerning, but diabetic eye diseases are particularly worrisome because many of these conditions can cause irreversible vision loss, up to and including blindness, but do not always cause any warning signs. It’s unfortunately far too common for people to skip the exams and evaluations that could reveal developing problems. By the time you notice something wrong, it may be too late. Vision loss is often irreversible.

What Are The Types Of Eye Disease?

As mentioned above, diabetic eye disease is a term that covers a group of diseases. 

Here are a few of the most common ones: 

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the number one cause of vision loss among diabetics. Retinopathy, as the name suggests, affects the eye. The retina lines the back of your eye, and helps your brain process and decode information from light waves. Diabetes can sometimes result in damage to the blood vessels, causing them to swell, weaken, or leak into the retina. This is called nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. If the condition is allowed to worsen, some of the blood vessels will be blocked, damaged, or constricted. This often causes new blood vessels to grow. Unfortunately, these are often abnormal, and may grow over the retina. This is called proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss in people with diabetes. Finding and treating diabetic retinopathy early can reduce the risk of blindness by 95 percent.

Diabetic Macular Edema

Macular Edma also affects the retina. This condition is associated with the macula, which is required for our central vision, color vision, and details. Diabetes often leads to swelling in the macula. This swelling—or edema—can cause permanent damage to this part of the eye, and can cause partial or complete vision loss.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is also a blanket term, which can be used to describe a group of eye diseases. These are related to the optic nerve, which is the nerve group that connects the eye to the brain. The risks of developing glaucoma are doubled for those who have diabetes. Genetics can also play a role. Glaucoma is most prevalent in those who are of African American, Irish, Russian, Japanese, Hispanic, Inuit, or Scandinavian descent.

You may be at additional risk if you fall into any of these categories.

• Are over 40 years old
• Have a family history of glaucoma
• Are nearsighted
• Are farsighted
• Have had an injury to your eye or eyes
• Have very thin corneas
• Have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or sickle cell anemia

Pregnancy can also increase the risk. However, it’s worth noting that gestational diabetes rarely causes eye problems, though no one is quite sure why.

Be sure to talk to your Happy Valley, CA eye doctor about your risks for not only DED.

Cataracts

Diabetics are also twice as likely to develop cataracts, which are caused by protein deposits. As the lens of the eye grows cloudy, it will interfere with your vision. Diabetics also tend to develop cataracts at a younger age than others. Research indicates that the link is in high glucose levels, which may cause or contribute to those deposit buildups.

What Are The Symptoms Of Diabetic Eye Disease?

This is the tricky part. Many people do not notice any symptoms at all until the condition has progressed quite a bit. Sadly, many people delay visiting their Shasta Lake, CA eye doctor until they’ve passed a point of no return, and have few or no options for treatment.

That said, here are some red flags to look for.

• Blurry Or Wavy Vision
• Frequently Changing Vision
• Dark Areas  
• Vision Loss
• Poor Color Vision
• Spots Or Dark Strings (Also Called Floaters)
• Flashes Of Light

Talk with your Redding CA  eye doctor if you have any of these symptoms or notice any other issues. Don’t hold off on that appointment. Eye issues are never something you would want to wait and see on. The sooner an issue is diagnosed and treated, the better.

Contact Our Redding,CA Eye Care Center

Are you looking for a great eye care clinic? Do you need new glasses or new contacts? Contact Michael R. Young, O.D, your Redding CA eye care clinic, any time!