Cataracts are a clouding of the lens of the eye. While they are common in the aging population, it’s important to know that they can occur at a much earlier age when you have diabetes.
What Causes Cataracts
As you age, the lenses of your eyes become less flexible, less transparent and thicker. When you have diabetes, high blood sugar (blood glucose) levels over time can lead to structural changes in the lens of the eye that can accelerate the development of cataracts.
If you have diabetes, you might be at greater risk for developing cataracts depending on how long you’ve had it, the frequency of glucose levels above your target range and the presence of macular edema—fluid build-up in the macula (located in the center of the retina). You may not notice cataracts, since symptoms can be minor until clouding affects the center of the eye, at which point the cataract can progress rapidly.
Other causes of cataracts:
Know the Symptoms
How to Prevent Cataracts
Manage your glucose to stay within your target range (usually 80-180 mg/dL)
Know What to Do if You Get Them
If you start developing a cataract, you may be able to see better if you:
Cataract Surgery: The Ultimate Treatment
The purpose of your lens is to bend light rays that come into the eye to help you see. Surgery removes the clouded lens and replaces it with an artificial lens. The artificial lens is placed in the same spot as your natural lens and remains a permanent part of your eye.
Cataract surgery can be done in either an outpatient setting or in a hospital. Your eye will be numbed with eye drops or with an injection around the eye. You will be awake during surgery and may see light and movement during the procedure, but you will not feel or see what the doctor is doing to your eye. The surgery itself may take only 10 minutes, but before you leave, you may need several hours of recovery after the procedure.
Recovering After Cataract Surgery
Here are some things to keep in mind after a cataract surgery:
Learn more about Cataracts eye disease
If you have a cataract, consult with your eye doctor to find out the treatment options that are right for you. Find more resources to protect your eye health.
But if you imagine losing your
sight, it's devastating.
Diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss in people 18-64 years old. And there are often no obvious signs or symptoms.
But the great news is an annual routine eye exam could prevent 95% of vision loss caused by diabetes.
– Dr. Nishan Pressley, OD, a VSP network doctor.
Many people have prediabetes or diabetes for years without knowing it because early symptoms can be so easy to miss. That’s why an annual comprehensive eye exam is critical for prevention and early detection of diabetes-related eye complications. Diabetes affects the tiny blood vessels in the back of your eye, which your eye doctor can examine during an eye exam—often times long before you ever even experience other symptoms.
Wondering if you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes? We’re here to help. Take our free, 60-second online risk test—and if you are at risk for diabetes, talk to your health care team about getting tested.
Some diabetic eye diseases have no signs or symptoms until they are too obvious to ignore, which might present as:
This is why regular comprehensive eye exams are so important—to help avoid vision loss and potentially catch these conditions early.
Routine eye exams can help identify problems that when treated can prevent or delay vision loss due to diabetic eye complications in many people with diabetes. Unfortunately, many people with diabetes don't get their eyes examined regularly and are diagnosed too late.
Schedule an annual comprehensive eye exam with your eye doctor at least once a year so they can detect any problems early and treat them.
And be sure to follow the other steps for healthy eyes, as well.
Some diabetic eye diseases have no obvious symptoms–but the damage done by high blood glucose levels can be caught early during a routine eye exam.
High blood sugar levels can cause damage to blood vessels in a part of your eye called the retina. There are various stages of diabetic eye disease. Diabetic Retinopathy is the most common and serious type of eye problem associated with diabetes.
Symptoms
Often none. Also common: blurred vision, distorted vision, impaired colors, seeing spots, or vision loss
Treatment
Good diabetes management including controlled blood glucose levels. Other treatment may include medication via injections or eyedrops, laser treatment, or surgery.
How to catch early
Annual dilated eye exam
Diabetic Macular Edema is when the tiny blood vessels in the retina leak fluid which builds up and causing swelling. This distorts vision and may lead to permanent vision loss.
Symptoms
Blurry, distorted, or wavy central vision. Color perception may also appear washed out.
Treatment
Good diabetes management including controlled blood glucose levels. Other treatment may include medication via injections or eyedrops, laser treatment, or surgery.
How to catch early
Annual dilated eye exam
Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes damage to your optic nerve resulting in irreversible vision loss and is more common in people with diabetes.
Symptoms
Often none. Sometimes headaches, eye pain, blurred vision, watery/red eyes, halos, vision loss
Treatment
Good diabetes management including controlled blood glucose levels. Other treatment may include medication via injections or eyedrops, laser treatment, or surgery.
How to catch early
Annual dilated eye exam
Usually associated with age, cataracts are more common and occur earlier in people diagnosed with diabetes. With cataracts, the lens in your eye becomes cloudy due to the breakdown of proteins in the lens.
Symptoms
Blurred vision, hazy vision, halos around lights particularly at night
Treatment
Cataract surgery to replace the lens near the surface of the eye.
How to catch early
Annual dilated eye exam
Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have prediabetes—blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. There are often no clear symptoms of prediabetes so you may have it and not know it. In fact, many people have prediabetes or diabetes for years without knowing it because early symptoms can be so easy to miss. That’s why an annual comprehensive eye exam is critical for the early detection and prevention of diabetes-related eye complications. Diabetes affects the tiny blood vessels in the back of your eye, which your eye doctor can examine during an eye exam—often times these exams detect problems before you ever even experience other symptoms.
Wondering if you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes? We’re here to help. Take our free, 60-second online risk test—and if you are at risk for diabetes, talk to your health care team about getting tested.
Routine eye exams can identify problems that when treated can prevent or delay vision loss in many people with diabetes. Unfortunately many people with diabetes don’t get their eyes examined regularly and are diagnosed too late. Be sure to schedule a comprehensive eye exam every year.
Schedule appointments with your eye doctor at least once a year so they can detect any problems early and treat them.
And be sure to follow the other steps for healthy eyes, as well.
Most importantly, early detection by a professional could save your vision. There are other steps that can help, too.
Avoid vision loss and potentially catch conditions early.
Routine exams should be done at least once a year.
It’s important to get a comprehensive eye exam with dilation every year to allow for a more thorough examination of your eye and to catch conditions early, before permanent damage is done.
Some diabetic eye diseases have no signs or symptoms until they are too obvious to ignore, which might present as:
This is why routine exams are so important—to help avoid vision loss and potentially catch these conditions early.
Eye health benefits are determined by your health care plan. Consider your network to learn your options when making an appointment.
Schedule appointments with your eye doctor at least once a year so they can detect any problems early and treat them.
Find an eye care professional
American Diabetes Association does not endorse any product or service.
When your blood sugar is too high, it can affect the shape of your eye’s lens, causing blurry vision, which goes back to normal after your blood sugar stabilizes. High blood sugar can also damage the blood vessels in your eyes. Maintaining good control of your blood sugar helps prevent these problems.
High blood pressure and high cholesterol can put you at greater risk for eye disease and vision loss. Keeping both under control will not only help your eyes but your overall health.
Smoking increases your risk of diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions, but you can reduce that risk by quitting smoking. Regular exercise also has phenomenal health benefits—it can control diabetes and improve eye health.
Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have prediabetes—blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. There are no clear symptoms of prediabetes so you may have it and not know it. In fact, many people have prediabetes or diabetes for years without knowing it because early symptoms can be so easy to miss. That’s why an annual comprehensive eye exam is critical for prevention and early detection of diabetes-related eye complications. Diabetes affects the tiny blood vessels in the back of your eye, which your eye doctor can examine during an eye exam—often times long before you ever even experience other symptoms
If you haven’t been told you have diabetes and are wondering if you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes, we’re here to help. Take our free, 60-second online risk test—and if you are at risk for diabetes, talk to your health care team about getting tested.
Some diabetic eye diseases have no signs until they are too obvious to ignore, which might present as:
This is why routine exams are so important–to help avoid vision loss and potentially catch these conditions early.
But when your patients with diabetes or prediabetes lose their sight, it’s devastating.
Diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss in people 18-64 years old. And there are often no obvious signs or symptoms.
Learn how to look closer at your patients' eye health and take control with these resources:
Coming soon: Get continuing medical education credit!
– Dr. Nishan Pressley, OD, a VSP network doctor.
If a patient has a diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, communicate the risk of eye conditions
For patients without a diagnosis, consider the American Diabetes Association’s 60-second online Risk Test to measure type 2 diabetes risk.
Some diabetic eye diseases have no signs or symptoms until they are too obvious to ignore, which might present as:
This is why routine eye exams are so important for your patients with diabetes and prediabetes to help avoid vision loss and potentially catch these conditions early.
Please communicate to your patients the importance of annual dilated eye exams.
If you’re a Primary Care Provider, help patients manage their risk for diabetes-related eye disease by providing referrals to get routine eye exams.
Managing diabetes is crucial, as is quitting smoking.
Stay up to date on news and tips you need to maintain your eye health, prevent vision loss and understand your risk for eye disease from experts you can trust—and others just like you.
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