Dr. K Sundar Rao

Diabetic eye refers to a condition which generally affects the eye of a diabetic person. It is caused due to high sugar level in body. Diabetic eye can further lead to major problems such as cataracts, blurry vision, glaucoma, and retinopathy in case no treatment is taken at the preliminary stages. The deposition of glucose on the lens is the major cause behind all such problems and if ignored it can further damage small nerves and blood vessels. There are many precautionary methods by which you can cure this disease such as eye drops, surgery and laser treatment, but the simplest way to treat it is by managing your sugar level.

Following are the ways by which you can maintain the sugar level and procure yourself from such disease:

1. Keeping an eye on your diet and consulting doctors for proper medication.
2. Quit smoking and alcoholic substances.
3. Have a detailed eye examination once a year.
4. Regular exercise and Yoga which can do wonder to control Diabetes.

How does a diabetic eye affect you?

1. Blurry vision: If you notice that things are looking unclear do not go for glasses it may just a normal problem caused by high glucose level. High sugar level causes swelling in the lens and reduces your ability to see. This can be corrected in 3 months by managing the sugar level in the normal range.
2. Cataract: The lens in our eye provides the sharp and clear vision, but they tend to be cloudy with age. It is more likely to occur in the diabetic person at an early age. This is caused due to the deposition of excess glucose on our eye lens which may reduce our vision and makes the things appear glaring.
3. Glaucoma: Glaucoma is caused due to pressure build-up in the eye and resists the fluid to flow in the normal way. This further cause damage to the blood vessel and causes the vision problems. Glaucoma can be treated if detected in early stage. The common symptoms of this disease are a headache, watery eye and vision loss. The problem can be cured by eye drops, surgery and laser treatment.
4. Diabetic Retinopathy: Retina is a group of special cell which is found in our eye. It helps to convert the light into an image. Diabetic Retinopathy can lead to damage of these small blood vessels hence leading to loss of sight. The common symptoms includes black spot on the eye, holes in vision and blurry vision which can be treated by surgery.

Conclusion
A diabetic eye is a minor problem if detected in early age, but can cause the vision loss in case proper care is not taken at the preliminary stages. A yearly checkup can help you to detect the problem in early age and hence can be cured. We suggest you to get your eyes checked as regular as once in a year once you attain the age of 40; as generally by this age the insulin level of the body is unbalanced and the composite of glucose starts depositing on different body parts which may lead to deadly diseases.