How Diabetes Can Increase Your Risk Of Eye Damage - Beyond Glaucoma
Posted on: 18 May 2017
Most diabetic patients understand that there's an increased risk of developing glaucoma due to having diabetes. However, many don't know that there's another eye disorder that can form due to diabetes and its linked conditions. If you have diabetes, you could also have high blood pressure, which will put your eyes at risk of blindness. Read on to learn more about these conditions and how they all work hand-in-hand.
The Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Link
Doctors and scientists aren't completely sure why diabetes and high blood pressure go hand-in-hand, but they know that they do. If you have diabetes, your risk of developing high blood pressure is higher than if you didn't have it. Unfortunately, high blood pressure can wreak havoc on various parts of the body, including the eyes. If your doctor has detected that your blood pressure is elevated above a healthy level, you should be aware that it could damage your vision.
How High Blood Pressure Damages the Eyes
When your blood pressure is too high, it can damage the delicate blood vessels that lead into the eyes. The eyes are very sensitive and need a precise level of pressure and blood flow in order to stay healthy and for your vision to operate normally. However, when your blood pressure is excessively high, the blood vessels in your eyes can become constricted, reducing the amount of blood flow to the eyes.
If this condition isn't treated quickly, it can cause a disorder called retinal detachment. The retina is responsible for converting the light received by your eye into an image that your brain can understand. When retinal detachment occurs, that image will initially become dimmer and distorted. If untreated, however, the retina can detach completely, leaving you blind.
What You Can Do
If you have diabetes, even if your doctor hasn't noticed that you have high blood pressure, you should get regular check-ups at your eye doctor's office. Your eye doctor can monitor your eyes to detect problems like retinal detachment and other eye disorders that are common with diabetes, like glaucoma. Catching the problem early on can help your doctors to work together to bring your blood pressure down, restoring your retinas and vision.
If you have diabetes, your eyes need additional care and treatment to maintain your health. If you're not already seeing an optometrist regularly, there's no better time to start than now.
Click here for more information on choosing an optometrist near you!
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