Your body then compensates by producing even more insulin, which can cause an accompanying abnormal increase in blood sugar levels. With this type of diabetes, you produce enough insulin but your body is unable to make proper use of it. Type 2 diabetes: When you are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, you are generally considered non-insulin-dependent or insulin-resistant. When you don’t produce enough of your own insulin, your blood sugar is unregulated and levels are too high. When you are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, you are considered insulin-dependent because you will need injections or other medications to supply the insulin your body is unable to produce on its own. Type 1 diabetes: Insulin is a natural hormone that helps regulate the levels of blood sugar needed to help “feed” your body. Uncontrolled diabetes allows unusually high levels of blood sugar (hyperglycemia) to accumulate in blood vessels, causing damage that hampers or alters blood flow to your body’s organs - including your eyes.ĭiabetes generally is classified as two types: How does diabetes cause diabetic retinopathy?ĭiabetes mellitus (DM) causes abnormal changes in the blood sugar (glucose) that your body ordinarily converts into energy to fuel different bodily functions.
With any diagnosis of diabetes, your primary care physician should refer you to an eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) for a dilated eye exam at least once a year. But it is unwise to wait that long for an eye exam. Generally, diabetics don't develop diabetic retinopathy until they have had diabetes for at least 10 years. People who are most vulnerable to diabetic retinopathy, including the elderly and certain minorities, may not receive appropriate eye care because of lack of health insurance or access even to primary care physicians.įor these reasons, make sure you promptly advocate for your own eye health and that of affected family members or friends when any kind of diabetes is present. The survey results also showed that only 18% of respondents were familiar with diabetic macular edema (DME), a term that refers to swelling of the macula associated with diabetic retinopathy, and nearly one third (30%) of respondents said they don’t get annual dilated eye exams recommended by the National Eye Institute for people with diabetes, which could help protect against diabetes-related vision loss. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Everyday Health, less than half of adults with diabetes in the U.S. But a significant percentage of Americans with diabetes are not aware of their risk of vision impairment from the disease. each year, according to CDC, and many could be prevented with early intervention. This causes glucose (sugar) levels in the bloodstream to rise and can eventually damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).īetween 12,000 and 24,000 new cases of blindness from diabetic retinopathy occur in the U.S. population between the ages of 20 and 79 - having the disease.Ībout 90% of Americans with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, which develops when the body fails to produce enough insulin - a hormone secreted by the pancreas that enables dietary sugar to enter the cells of the body - or the body becomes resistant to insulin.
The good news: Diabetic retinopathy can often be prevented with early detection, proper management of your diabetes and routine eye exams performed by your optometrist or ophthalmologist.Īccording to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the United States has the highest rate of diabetes among 38 developed nations, with approximately 30 million Americans - roughly 11% of the U.S. Diabetic retinopathy - vision-threatening damage to the retina of the eye caused by diabetes - is the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans.
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