5 FACTS ABOUT DIABETIC EYE DISEASE
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism. The disease is mainly caused by a lack of insulin production by the pancreas or a reduced ability of this hormone to work in the body, resulting in high blood sugar levels. This is one of the causes leading to other serious diseases in the body such as heart disease, nervous system, kidney and eye disease. In the article below, let's find out 5 facts about siabetic eye disease.
Most eye diseases caused by diabetes take about 5 to 10 years to progress
Eye damage caused by diabetes often has no obvious symptoms in the early stages. Although the disease takes 5-10 years to cause significant damage to the eye, that does not mean that the patient's vision will not be affected. The best solution to control the progression of eye complications caused by diabetes is to proactively visit periodically at eye specialist hospitals for risk screening and timely treatment.
Sign up for an eye exam at Japan International Eye Hospital to protect your eyesight today!
People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cataracts than the general population
Usually, cataracts appear in the elderly due to the natural aging process of the eye. However, for people with diabetes, cataracts can appear earlier due to high blood sugar, which leads to a build-up of proteins and cells in the lens that cause the lens to fail. naturally opaque. Patients should maintain tight control of their blood sugar every day to delay the onset of cataracts.
Diabetes can cause paralysis of the eye muscles and double vision
When diabetes causes enough damage to the body's circulatory system, it can lead to paralysis of the muscles that move the eyes. If one or more muscles in one eye do not work properly, the two eyes will not be able to move in the same direction, and the brain will receive two images instead of one, causing double vision. This usually lasts a few days to a few weeks.
If you have these symptoms, you need to control your blood sugar and take medication as prescribed by your doctor.
People with diabetes may be more susceptible to eye infections than the general population
In fact, when diabetes is not controlled properly, it can affect the body's immune system, reducing its ability to fight off harmful external factors. That can lead to conjunctivitis (pink eye) and other eye infections.
To prevent eye infections, keep your blood sugar under control, wash your hands often, and limit touching your eyes.
Sudden blurred vision can be a warning sign of retinal disease
If the blood sugar of a person with diabetes is not controlled, it can lead to blurred vision. This condition will go away after the patient has good control of blood sugar.
However, it can also be a sign of damage to the retina and blood vessels at the back of the eye. This can cause blurred vision, even permanent vision loss. Therefore, it is very important to have an eye exam every 6 months for people with diabetes to find the exact cause of the abnormal signs in the eyes, thereby timely treatment to protect the eyes. eye sight.
Register for an eye exam at Japan International Eye Hospital right here.
