Type 2 Diabetes - Insulin Resistance and Your Bones
How Diabetes Damages Your Eyes
1. Diabetes affects many important organs, including the
eyes. If you are diagnosed to have Type I or Type II
diabetes, regular eye checkups are needed to prevent
diabetes eye problems. The uncontrolled elevation of
blood sugar due to insufficient production of insulin or
insulin resistance in diabetics is harmful to the blood
vessels that support the parts of the eyes essential for
normal vision. According to statistics, diabetes eye
problems are the primary cause of blindness in people
ages 20 to 74.
2. The retina is the most common part of the eye damaged in
people with diabetes. The retina is the lining at the back of
the eyes. The function of the retina can be compared to
that of a movie screen, which translates light rays into
electrical signals transmitted to the brain. When the brain
receives these signals, it translates into images and vision.
A healthy retina is nourished by tiny blood vessels that
carry blood and oxygen. In people with diabetes, their
blood becomes so sticky because of too much blood sugar.
The very viscous blood has reduced capacity to flow and
thus needs high blood pressure. The increased pressure
inside the blood vessels that forces the blood to flow
causes diabetes eye problems.
3. Here are three eye problems frequently associated with
being a type 2 diabetic:
4. Diabetic Retinopathy is the primary eye problem in people
with diabetes. It starts with the increased pressure causing
swelling and weakening of the blood vessels. It progresses
to clogging and rupturing of the blood vessels rupture
causing blood to leak, preventing light rays from reaching
the retina. The leaked blood causes floating spots and
even total darkness. As the progression of diabetes occurs
for years, the weak and damaged blood vessels form scar
tissues that detach the retina away from the back of the
eye. Retinal detachment causes blindness, which is now
the end point of diabetic retinopathy.
5. Glaucoma is an eye disease caused by damage to the optic
nerve. In diabetes, glaucoma is caused by the increased
blood pressure inhibiting the fluid in the eyes to drain. The
pressure damages nerves and tissues in the eyes resulting
to partial or total loss of vision in diabetics.
6. Cataract is a diabetes eye problem caused by clouding in
the lenses. The lens is located at the front of the eyeball
and functions like a camera. Cataract is often a
degenerative disease that people usually acquire due to
old age. But people with diabetes develops cataract at an
earlier age than healthy people.