Diabetes affects the entire body, and the eyes are no exception. The high blood sugars, along with insulin resistance, damage the small blood vessels. In fact, diabetes increases the incidence and rate progression of both, cataract and glaucoma.
Primary glaucoma and diabetes
Glaucoma is a diseases charaterised by damage to the field of vision. High eye pressure , or elevated IOP, can cause damage to the optic nerve. This causes damage to your field of vision. Therefore, high blood sugar can even cause permanent loss of vision. However, if your doctor can find no reason for this damage, the disease is called a primary glaucoma.
If you have diabetes, you are at a higher risk for glaucoma. The risk of glaucoma in diabetics is two times that of normal population. Also, glaucoma is known to progress more rapidly in patients with uncontrolled blood sugars.
Secondary glaucoma and diabetes
Secondary glaucomas are secondary to disease processes, and are rarer than primary glaucomas.
Neovascular glaucoma, or NVG, is a special kind of glaucoma which is relatively rare. As the name suggests, formation of new blood vessels results in NVG. The most common cause of neovascular glaucoma is diabetes.
Diabetes and the eye
Diabetes, especially when uncontrolled, damages the small blood vessels in the eye. Thee fragile blood vessels bleed, and leak protein and fluid into the retina. Diabetic eye disease encompasses three clinical pictures, which may overlap.
The manifestations of diabetes on the eye include:
- Diabetic retinopathy, both proliferative and non-proliferative
- Diabetic macular edema or swelling in the retina
- Diabetic optic neuropathy
The formation of new, abnormal blood vessels on the retina is called proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
When new blood vessels grow on the iris (the brown or black part of the eye) they can causes a mechanical obstruction to drainage of fluid from the eye. This increases the eye pressure, resulting in NVG.
It is important to remember that neovascular glaucoma is more difficult to treat than primary glaucomas. NVG is an emergency and can cause permanent loss of vision in a very short time. If you have been diagnosed with NVG, your glaucoma doctor will work in collaboration with a retina specialist in order to preserve your vision.
How can we protect our eyes from glaucoma and diabetes?
Both, diabetes duration, and fasting glucose levels are associated with a significantly increased risk of glaucoma. In addition , there is sufficient evidence to show that good blood sugar control can lower this risk.
Therefore, this is what you need to do, to lower your risk of glaucoma and diabetes related eye diseases.
- Control your blood sugar, blood pressure and serum cholesterol. This will decrease the risk of diabetic eye disease and glaucoma also.
- A healthy balanced diet is the key to blood sugar control, as well as eye health.
- Exercise. This will help control your blood sugars, and also promote general well being.
- Stop smoking.
- Be regular for your annual eye examination. Experts recommend that a comprehensive eye examination is essential once a year.
- Be regular with your annual health checks, and blood sugar checks as well.
Diabetes and the eye
- Remember, not only is there a connection between glaucoma and diabetes, diabetes is associated with several other eye diseases as well.
- Early detection and treatment of both diabetic eye disease and glaucoma, can prevent blindness.
- Both of these eye diseases have no symptoms in the initial stages. The only way to detect them early on is to make sure you have a comprehensive eye exam once a year.
- Good blood sugar control is essential for eye health, so make sure you follow your diabetologists instructions properly.
