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Information for patients
Most people with diabetes see well and have no major
eye problems. Some diabetics develop 'cataracts', and if these get thick
and affect your vision they can be removed with a relatively quick operation. Cataracts
are described on the next page... click Cataracts.
If your diabetes has been a little more severe, you may develop 'retinopathy',
a disease of the retina of your eye. See Retinopathy for more
details. |
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The 'retina' is the film at the back
of your eye, like the film in a camera. This is shown in the picture.
Light enters your the eye ... from the left in this picture.. and then passes
through the eye to reach the retina. The messages about what you see are then passed on to
the brain. |
| If your sight has already been damaged, it can be very
difficult coping with everyday life. For information that may help a little, see Coping with Poor
Vision. |
Preventing Eye disease
If you are diabetic you cannot tell if
your eyes have been damaged by diabetes; the eyes have to be checked by a doctor or
optometrist who is expert at finding the condition. This check needs to be carried out
every year.
What can you do to stop retinopathy developing? More details are discussed in Preventing problems, but basically you need as far as possible to
keep to a healthy diet & have regular exercise
keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and fat levels
as normal as possible
have regular checks of your eyes (with dilated
pupils), sugar, HBA1c, blood pressure, urine protein, and feet.
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