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Too much glucose in the blood for a long time can cause diabetes problems. This high blood glucose, also called blood sugar, can damage many parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. Heart and blood vessel disease can lead to heart attacks and strokes. You can do a lot to prevent or slow down diabetes problems.

When diabetes affects the eye’s blood vessels it is called diabetic retinopathy. It is the sixth leading cause for blindess in India.

A diabetic patient has to take lot of preventive measure to keep his sugar level.

What can I do to prevent diabetes eye problems?

You can do a lot to prevent diabetes eye problems.

• Keep your blood glucose and blood pressure as close to normal as you can.
• Have regular eye examination once in a year even your eyes are normal.
• Have a detailed dialated eye examination once in a year.

How can diabetes hurt my eyes?

High blood glucose and high blood pressure from diabetes can hurt four parts of your eye:

• Retina: The retina is the lining at the back of the eye. The retina’s job is to sense light coming into the eye.
• Vitreous: The vitreous is a jelly-like fluid that fills the back of the eye.
• Lens:The lens is at the front of the eye. The lens focuses light on the retina.
• Optic nerve:The optic nerve is the eye’s main nerve to the brain.

How can diabetes hurt the retinas of my eyes?

Retina damage happens slowly. Your retinas have tiny blood vessels that are easy to damage. Having high blood glucose and high blood pressure for a long time can damage these tiny blood vessels.

One of your eyes may be damaged more than the other. Or both eyes may have the same amount of damage.

What happens as diabetes retina problems get worse?

As diabetes retina problems get worse, new blood vessels grow. These new blood vessels are weak. They break easily and leak blood into the vitreous of your eye. The leaking blood keeps light from reaching the retina.

How do I know if I have retina damage from diabetes?

You may not have any signs of diabetes retina damage, or you may have one or more signs:

• blurry or double vision.
• rings, flashing lights, or blank spots.
• dark or floating spots.
• pain or pressure in one or both of your eyes.
• trouble seeing things out of the corners because of diabetes.

If you have retina damage from diabetes, you may have blurry or double vision.