Diabetic Complications of the Eye
About Diabetes
All the three type of diabetes have been identified in man have complications affecting the eys. Type 1 Diabetes is the result of the body producing little or no insulin. It commonly occurs before the age of 30. On the other hand, Type 2 Diabetes commonly occurs after the age of 40 but younger people are being diagnosed with it now. In this type of diabetes the body does produce some insulin, but the amount is either not sufficient or the body is not able to make proper use of it [insulin resistance]. Gestational Diabetes (GDM) is a type of diabetes in women that sometimes arises during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. For most women this diabetes goes away after pregnancy but it increases the chances of developing of type 1 or type 2 diabetes later in life.
Basic Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
When one looks at an object, the light which passes through the front of the eye [pupil] from the object is focused by the lens onto the retina. The retina is a delicate tissue that is sensitive to light. It converts the light impulses into electrical signals that travel along the optic nerve to the brain. The brain then combines images sent from both eyes and integrates into a single, three-dimensional image. This is how depth and distance is perceived. Without the retina, the eye cannot communicate with the brain, making vision impossible.
Light is focused onto a very small area of the retina called the macula, which is about the size of a pinhead. It is this highly specialized part of the retina that allows for activities such as reading and writing, and recognition of colors. The rest of the retina gives peripheral vision. The eye is filled with a clear jelly-like substance called the vitreous humor. Light passes through the gel to focus the image on the macula.
The retina is supplied with blood by a delicate network of blood vessels. These blood vessels called capillaries can be damaged by diabetes.
Effects of Diabetes on the Eyes
Diabetes can affect the eye in a number of ways:
Background Diabetic Retinopathy
: This is the earliest and most common type of diabetic retinal degeneration. The blood vessels in the retina are mildly damaged leading to a slightly bulge (micro-aneurysm) and may leak blood or fluid. As long as the macula is not affected, vision is normal and one would not be aware that anything is wrong.
Diabetic Retinopathy
. This is the most serious eye condition associated with diabetes. It involves the network of blood vessels supplying the retina. There are usually no early signs of diabetic retinopathy and sight may not be affected until the condition is severe. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:
- Blurred vision that does not improve with glasses
- Vision that worsens, improves, then worsens again
- Sudden loss of vision, usually following events such as coughing or sneezing
- Loss of central vision when reading or driving
- Loss of the ability to see color
- Seeing “cobwebs,” “spots,” floaters or a “hole” in your field of vision
- Eye pain
The unusual changes in blood sugar levels resulting from diabetes can affect the lens inside the eye, especially when diabetes is uncontrolled. This can result in blurring of vision which comes and goes over the day, depending on your blood sugar levels.
Maculopathy
Maculopathy means that the macula is affected by retinopathy. When this happens, central vision will be affected and it becomes difficult to see detail such as recognizing people’s faces in the distance or seeing detail such as small print. The amount of central vision that is lost varies from person to person. However, the vision that allows you to get around at home and outside (peripheral vision) is not affected.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
If diabetic retinopathy progresses, it can cause the larger blood vessels in the retina to become blocked. These blockages can result in areas of the retina becoming starved of oxygen resulting in ischemia. If this happens the eye is stimulated into growing new vessels; the process is called neo-vascularization. This is the proliferative stage of diabetic retinopathy. It is nature’s way of trying to repair the damage by growing a new blood supply to the oxygen starved area of the retina.
Very often, these new blood vessels are weak, and grow in the wrong places such as on the surface of the retina and into the vitreous humor. Consequently, these blood vessels can bleed very easily which may result in large hemorrhages over the surface of the retina or into the vitreous gel. These types of hemorrhages can totally obscure the vision in the affected eye as light is blocked by the blood. With time the blood can be reabsorbed and vision can improve.
Diabetes and Cataracts
A cataract is the clouding or fogging of the normally clear lens of the eye. The lens focuses the image on the retina. Although anyone can get cataracts, people with diabetes get these eye problems at an earlier age than most and the condition progresses more rapidly than in people without diabetes.
Diabetics with cataract cannot focus image on the retina leading to impaired vision. Symptoms of this eye problem in diabetics include blurred or glared vision. Despite the fact that I was on diabetes medication, I developed cataracts and my lenses had to be surgically removed followed by placement of lens implants with glasses as necessary to further correct vision.
Diabetes and Glaucoma
When fluid inside the eye does not drain properly from a buildup of pressure inside the eye, it results in another eye problem with diabetes called glaucoma. The pressure damages nerves and blood capillaries in the eye, causing changes in vision.
Two forms of glaucoma exist among diabetics. In the more common form, there may be no symptoms at all until the disease is very advanced and then all of a sudden there is significant vision loss. In the less common form, symptoms can include headaches, eye aches or pain, blurred vision, watering eyes, halos around lights, and loss of vision.
Diabetes has many complications on the eyes and therefore vision. Diabetes treatment has focused heavily on blood sugar and exercise which have helped a great deal. There is mounting evidence that natural products can help too. These natural products contain anti-oxidants which mean they are anti-inflammatory. Chronic inflammation is one of the causes of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, etc. Treating the cause would be a significant step forward.
Very few people actually win the battle against diabetes despite the enormous advances in diabetes research and treatment. Now that the evidence is out that chronic inflammation is the cause of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, etc the hope is that focus would gradually shift in the direction of learning how to decrease inflammation.
Moses Igono
Different On Purpose By Design
480-255-4776
Skype: moigono