What does diabetes have to do with my eyes?

Diabetes can harm your vision, or even cause blindness. With diabetes, your body does not use sugar the right way. This can affect the blood vessels (arteries and veins) in your eyes and other parts of your body.

What is diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is the eye disease people with diabetes get most often. It is a major but preventable cause of blindness. The retina at the back of the eye sends the pictures of what we see to the brain. Diabetic retinopathy harms the blood vessels in the retina, this causes blurry vision.
The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to get diabetic retinopathy.

How do I know if I have diabetic eye disease?
You might not know. There are often no signs when you first have the disease. In the early stages when treatment is most effective, your vision will not change much, and you won’t feel any pain.
However, severe vision loss can usually be prevented if treated early and appropriately. The best time to treat diabetic eye disease is before you have any symptoms.

If you have diabetes, have your eyes examined by an ophthalmologist (a medical eye doctor) annually.

An Eye Exam Can Save Your Sight

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