Diabetic Eyecare

Diabetes and the Eye

Diabetes affects 38.4 million Americans, or about 1 out of 9 people in the US. In the eye, it can affect any part of the eye, and can accelerate cataract and glaucoma. It can damage the nerve cells in the cornea, retina, and optic nerve, and it can cause blood vessel damage in the retina, including leakiness, loss of blood vessels, or bleeding in the retina. Diabetics should generally get their eyes examined annually to look and see if any diabetic eye changes are present. If blood vessel damage is present, laser or medications injected into the eye can be very important to preserve vision. If there are diabetic eye changes, detection is important to help guide oral or systemic medication management for diabetes, as well as evaluation for diabetic damage elsewhere (e.g., the feet, heart, or brain).