{"id":17154,"date":"2020-11-27T10:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-11-27T15:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=17154"},"modified":"2023-10-24T11:58:52","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T15:58:52","slug":"diabetic-retinopathy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/diabetic-retinopathy\/","title":{"rendered":"What you need to know about diabetic eye disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

How\u2019s your vision? If you have diabetes, you may want to be extra vigilant about the health of your eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetic eye disease is a leading cause of blindness, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). Among the various types of diabetic eye disease, which include glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think of diabetes as affecting their <\/span>blood sugar levels<\/span><\/a>, but they don\u2019t always think of it affecting their eyes,\u201d notes ophthalmologist Rahul Khurana, MD, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). But it\u2019s important that they do as <\/span>early detection and timely treatment<\/span><\/a> can greatly reduce the risk of severe vision loss.<\/span><\/p>\n

November is National Diabetes Month and National Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. So, this time of year marks a great opportunity for you to learn more about how diabetes can affect your eye health. You can learn more about conditions like diabetic retinopathy and how you may be able to prevent vision problems or severe vision loss from developing.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is diabetic retinopathy?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that develops as a result of damage to the tiny blood vessels of the retina, which is the thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye near the optic nerve.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetic retinopathy is the \u201c<\/span>most common cause of vision impairment and blindness among working-age adults in the United States<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Nearly <\/span>8 million adults<\/span><\/a> have diabetic retinopathy, and that number is expected to grow. The World Health Organization also reports that diabetes retinopathy causes nearly <\/span>3% of vision loss<\/span><\/a> worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>In a healthy eye, the retina receives light from the lens of the eye, converts that light into signals and sends those signals to the brain. That\u2019s how you see.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>But if you have diabetes and your blood glucose levels tend to be too high, your eyes may pay the price. When blood sugar levels remain elevated over time, they can damage your blood vessels\u2014that includes the tiny blood vessels in your eyes. As a result, those blood vessels may begin to swell or rupture. Some begin to leak fluid into your retina. Your body may respond by trying to grow new blood vessels, but that can cause new problems to develop. Eventually, you may lose the ability to see.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>There are two main types of<\/span> diabetic retinopathy<\/span><\/a>: nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy<\/span><\/h3>\n

Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy is the early stage of this disease. You might not even notice any symptoms during this stage, although some people report some blurriness.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some experts further divide nonproliferative retinopathy into three stages. Here\u2019s what happens during those stages:<\/span><\/p>\n