Joanne R. Pompano
Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the United States) (26) Every year between 12,000 and 24,000 people become blind due to diabetes. (27) This serious disease also can cause problems like heart disease, kidney failure, and amputations. Diabetes may be controlled, to some degree, with medications, exercise and good diet. Without treatment or intervention severe visual impairments or blindness may occur. (28)
Visual impairments such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and corneal diseases are frequent complications of diabetes. Individuals with diabetes have a high rate of blindness due to the complications of these eye disorders: 1. Diabetic retinopathy--damage to the blood vessels in the retina. 2. Cataract--clouding of the eye’s lens. 3. Glaucoma--increased fluid pressure inside the eye that may lead to optic nerve damage and loss of vision. 4. and corneal diseases. (29)
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy, the major cause of blindness in people with diabetes, is a disorder where the small blood vessels of the retina form abnormalities such as weakening of blood vessel walls or leakage from blood vessels. (30) This condition occurs when blood vessels stop nourishing the retina properly. In the early stages, retina blood vessels may swell and leak fluid to the retina. In the later stages, serious vision loss is caused when new blood vessels grow and send blood to the center of the eye.
These changes may result in vision loss or blindness. However, often there are none in the early stages of the disease. Vision may not change until the disease becomes severe. All people with diabetes need to get a dilated eye exam at least once a year. (31)
Diabetic retinopathy may result in the following: 1. Changes in focus and changes in refraction. 2. Increased sensitivity to bright lights and glare 3. Poor color vision 4. Overall blurred or hazy vision making printed text distorted 5. Clouding of the vitreous (light normally passes from the lens through the vitreous to the retina.) (32)
Non-proliferate retinopathy is a common form of this disorder. This is often a mild form of the disease and does not usually interfere with vision. However, when Non-proliferate retinopathy is left untreated it can progress into a more harmful form known as proliferate retinopathy. In this form new blood vessels multiply and spread throughout the retina and surrounding areas. This often affects the macula, the area of the retina that provides sharpness and detail in vision. Proliferate retinopathy may also cause bleeding in the fluid-filled center of the eye or swelling of the retina and leading loss of vision or blindness. (33)
