Diabetes is a serious chronic condition caused by high levels of glucose in the blood. All of the organs in the body are supplied by blood, meaning that people with diabetes may experience symptoms or complications in almost any organ. The eye is one organ commonly affected by diabetes. In the United States, diabetes causes between 12,000 and 24,000 new cases of blindness every year, making it the leading cause of blindness in the U.S., according to Net Wellness.
Diabetic Retinopathy
The most common type of eye damage caused by diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, a disease that damages the light-sensing area of the eye called the retina. The high levels of sugar in the blood damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina, often causing them to swell and leak fluid into the retina, explains the Federal Citizen Information Center. In some cases, diabetes may cause new blood vessels to abnormally grow into the eye, preventing the eye from sensing light.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma occurs less frequently than diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetes, and can cause vision loss in some cases. Glaucoma is a painful condition caused by an increase of fluids inside the eye. This swelling of the eye can lead to damage of the optic nerve and loss of vision, according to the National Eye Institute. The risk of glaucoma is doubled in patients with diabetes compared to healthy people.
Cataracts
A cataract results when the clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy, which reduces vision. Cataracts first cause blurriness and reduce nighttime vision. Left untreated, cataracts will eventually decrease daytime vision as well, explains Medline Plus. Patients with diabetes often develop cataracts at a much earlier age than the rest of the population, according to the National Eye Institute.
