Tending to your eye health is important for everyone. If you’re among the 11.3% of people in the United States who are living with diabetes, however, doing so is especially important. 

Diabetes can damage your eyes, leading to numerous diseases. Left unaddressed, these diseases can lead to vision loss and blindness.

Thankfully, there’s a lot you can do to lower your risk of diabetes-related blindness. And Dr. Melanie Frogozo, Dr. Swati Kumar, and their expert team at Alamo Eye Care in San Antonio, Texas, are here to help.

Take a moment to learn more about diabetes-related eye issues, from severe complications to preventive steps.
 

How diabetes affects your eyes

When your diabetes isn’t controlled well, high blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels in your retinas. Once these blood vessels are damaged, they can swell up and leak, reducing your blood flow.

Diabetic retinopathy is among several forms of diabetic eye disease, which is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults in the United States. Other potential complications include blood vessel hemorrhage, glaucoma, and retinal detachment.

Earlier symptoms of diabetic eye disease may include:

• Blurry vision

• Dark or empty areas in your vision

• Flashes of light in your vision

• Floating strings in your vision

• Fluctuating vision

• Impaired color vision

• Spots in your vision
   

You may be more vulnerable to these issues if you’re pregnant, of African American, Hispanic, or Native American descent, or have high blood pressure.
 

How to prevent diabetes-related blindness

Managing your diabetes by following your recommended treatment plan and getting routine eye exams are the best ways to prevent vision loss and blindness. Coming into our office for an exam once you notice any early eye or vision changes are important too.

Once you’ve been diagnosed with diabetic eye disease, appropriate treatment can go a long way toward reducing your symptoms, slowing down the progression, and staving off complications.

Depending on the specifics of your condition and overall health, we may recommend:

• Lifestyle changes, such as a healthier diet, routine exercise, and quitting smoking

• Watchful waiting and periodic monitoring, for mild symptoms

• Laser treatment, to slow down blood and fluid leaks and shrink abnormal blood vessels

• Eye injections, to block new, faulty blood vessel growth

• Vitrectomy is a surgery to remove blood and scar tissue from your eyes
   

To learn more about diabetic eye concerns or to get the treatment you need, call Alamo Eye Care at 210-469-9744 or text us at 210-403-9050. You can also request an appointment through our website.