The most common form of diabetic eye disease is called diabetic retinopathy. It usually only affects those who have had diabetes for quite a few years. When it does affect diabetic patients, it can become dangerous, as it can increase the risk of blindness if the disease is left untreated. The risk of developing the condition increases with age and when blood sugar and blood pressure is left uncontrolled.
This disease occurs when blood glucose levels change, which in turn causes retinal blood vessels to change. The vessels swell up and leak fluid into the back of the eye. Sometimes, the abnormal blood vessels begin to grow on the retina’s surface.
The difficult thing about this disease is that symptoms may not occur until the disease advances. However, the most common symptoms of retinopathy are eye pain, double vision, eye floaters and spots and blurred vision.
If you are affected by poor blood glucose control, high blood pressure, protein in urine and prolonged diabetes, you should have a retinopathy screening examination quickly. The longer a person suffers from diabetes, the greater the risk of developing this disease.
The risks can be reduced by having a dilated eye exam once a year and by testing blood sugar levels and urine levels regularly. Laser surgery is used to treat diabetic eye disease. The importance of yearly eye examinations by a professional cannot be overstated. Visit the website to find an experienced optometrist in El Cajon.
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