Preventing Diabetes Vision Loss

What is the leading cause of blindness in the United States of America? Diabetes. Researchers are now stating that diabetes related vision loss can be prevented if the disease is treated in time.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. has reported that only 50 to 60 percent of people with diabetes get the recommended yearly eye exam. The effective treatments, including a dilated eye test, can reduce severe vision loss up to 94 percent. A persons risk for diabetic retinopathy increases with the length of time that they have had diabetes.

It was once thought that diabetic retinopathy only affected diabetics who have had the disease for a long length of time. We now know that that is not the case. For some diabetics, retinopathy is one of the first signs of the disease. Diabetic retinopathy happens when blood vessels in the eye’s retina are weakened due to high blood-sugar levels. The vessels begin to leak blood and fluid which makes the retina begin to swell, this is what causes the vision loss.

To be able to take preventative measures against diabetes, you first need to find out if you have the disease or not. The way to do this is by having your blood sugar levels checked once every 3 years once you are over the age of 45. In the case of diabetes… ignorance is definitely NOT bliss.