One of the many things that diabetes can influence when it isn’t carefully controlled is eyesight. It doesn’t matter whether the LASIK patient in Orange County has type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes, which works similarly to type 2 while it lasts, the probability of developing different eye diseases (diabetic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma) increases greatly. When you place these diseases under the blanket term “diabetic eye disease,” it makes diabetes the main cause of blindness worldwide.
How Does Diabetes Work?
All three types of diabetes affect eye health, but they function in various ways. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed early in life, and it concerns the pancreas not being able to generate insulin. Type 2 diabetes (up to 95% of cases) is usually diagnosed decades into adulthood and concerns the body failing to use insulin properly to balance blood sugar. Doctor Moosa, a LASIK eye doctor in Orange County, says gestational diabetes affects some pregnant women, who cannot regulate blood sugar during pregnancy.
Diabetes Escalates The Risk of Cataracts
Diabetes makes a person five times more likely to develop cataracts. This is because high blood sugar can cause the lens of the eye to swell and gather opaque proteins, turning it cloudy. Modern cataract-removal surgery, fortunately, makes the subsequent vision loss reversible.
Macular Edema and Diabetic Retinopathy
High blood sugar results in higher blood acidity, which can actually harm blood vessels. This creates a massive issue for the delicate capillaries that nourish the retina at the back of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when those capillaries weaken enough to start leaking, which the body attempts to repair by growing new blood vessels. Nevertheless, these are less stable and even more probable to leak. A common symptom of diabetic retinopathy is when a person experiences dark blotches or floaters in their field of vision.
Around 10% of people who develop diabetic retinopathy will eventually evolve its cousin too. DME is the accumulation of fluid in the macula (the part of the retina that gives us detailed central vision). The fluid accumulation causes distortions and washes out the colors, and surgical treatment may be necessary to restore normal vision.
Diabetes Makes Glaucoma More Of A Possibility
Even though LASIK patients are surprised to find out that the fluid in our eyes doesn’t stay in the same place for all of our lives. As a matter of fact, the best laser eye surgery doctor in Orange County, Doctor Moosa, says that there is a cycle that constantly changes it, which is a critical part of eye health. Glaucoma occurs when this cycle is interrupted, and pressure starts to accumulate against the optic nerve until it damages it, resulting in issues that are as severe and as permanent as blindness. A diabetic person has a higher risk of developing glaucoma, which doesn’t always have clear as a bell symptoms. That’s why doctors performing LASIK eye surgery in Orange County recommend that you have regular eye exams to catch these types of eye issues early on.
