What’s Your Diabetes “Eye Q”?

The answer is true.

According to the CDC, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in U.S. adults. Diabetic retinopathy causes 12,000 to 24,000 cases of blindness per year, says the CDC. The frequency and degree of high blood sugar in people with diabetes eventually cause the walls of the blood vessels to thicken and lose their elasticity. The weakened walls are then susceptible to leaks. Any small amounts of fluid that leak from the damaged blood vessels can cause a reduction in vision (called diabetic macular edema), as can development of fibrous scar tissue from the growth of abnormal new blood vessels, leading to detachment of the retina (called proliferative diabetic retinopathy).

The answer is all of the above.

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when there is damage to the blood vessels inside the retina.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataracts tend to develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes than in those without diabetes.

Glaucoma is an increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision. A person with diabetes is 40 percent more likely to get glaucoma than other adults, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

The answer is diabetic retinopathy.

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), 40 to 45 percent of Americans with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy. This condition occurs when the blood vessels leading to the retina of the eye become blocked and/or leak fluid or blood (hemorrhage) into the eye.

The answer is true.

Anyone with diabetes can develop vision complications. Dry eye is the most common complication for people with diabetes, but the most serious visual complication is diabetic retinopathy. The longer someone has diabetes, the more likely it becomes that he or she will develop diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy has four stages:

1. Mild nonproliferative retinopathy. At this earliest stage, microaneurysms occur. They are small areas of balloon-like swelling in the retina’s tiny blood vessels.
2. Moderate nonproliferative retinopathy. As the disease progresses, some blood vessels within the retina begin to leak blood and serum.
3. Severe nonproliferative retinopathy. Many more blood vessels are damaged, depriving areas of the retina of their blood supply. These areas of the retina send signals to the body to grow new blood vessels for nourishment.
4. Proliferative retinopathy. At this advanced stage, the signals sent by the retina for nourishment trigger the growth of new blood vessels. This condition is called proliferative retinopathy. These new blood vessels are abnormal and fragile. They grow along the retina and along the surface of the clear, vitreous gel that fills the inside of the eye. By themselves, these blood vessels do not cause symptoms or vision loss. However, they have thin, fragile walls. If they leak blood and/or if fibrous scar tissue associated with these abnormal blood vessels damages the retina, severe vision loss and even blindness can result.

The answer is true.

In laser surgery, a special beam of light is used to shrink the abnormal blood vessels, or to seal leaking blood vessels. Laser surgery has been proven to reduce the five-year risk of vision loss from advanced diabetic retinopathy by more than 90 percent, according to the NEI.

The answer is false.

Often, there are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, nor is there any pain. Vision may not change until the disease becomes severe—so don’t wait for symptoms. Be sure to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year.

The answer is false.

People with severe vision loss, and even those who become totally blind, can accurately draw up insulin, monitor blood glucose levels, etc. “Limitations” are often self-imposed, and the most important step necessary to overcome negative thinking is knowing where to go for information and where to get help. Some equipment, (e.g., audio output devices, tactile insulin syringes, and a host of sophisticated magnification devices), has been adapted for people who are blind. By using alternative techniques and products, people with vision loss can control their diabetes as efficiently as their sighted peers.

The answer is false.

Controlling your blood sugar is one way to help prevent diabetic eye disease or its progression. Controlling elevated blood pressure and cholesterol can also reduce the risk of vision loss. People who have good control of their diabetes are at much lower risk for diabetic eye disease.