Diabetes is a disease that makes it difficult for the body to produce and regulate insulin. Insulin helps control the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Drastic spikes or drops in blood sugar levels can cause significant damage to the organs, blood vessels, and nerves.
High blood sugar on its own likely won’t cause vision loss, but it may cause blurry vision due to fluctuating fluid levels in the eyes. Additionally, high blood sugar can cause the tissues of the eyes to swell, which may cause blurred vision. However, these symptoms usually disappear when blood sugar levels return to normal.
If your blood sugar levels stay high for an extended amount of time, it can negatively affect the tiny blood vessels in your eyes. Damaged blood vessels can swell and leak, causing blood to seep into the vitreous, blocking vision. New, abnormal blood vessels can also grow, which may lead to scarring and high blood pressure.
Diabetic eye disease is a group of eye problems that affect people with diabetes. These conditions include:
The best way to keep your eyes healthy is to manage your diabetes with help from your doctor. Monitoring your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol are good places to start, alongside quitting smoking.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that people with diabetes have their eyes examined annually to monitor for any changes in their ocular health.
In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, called nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, the blood vessels in the eye begin to weaken, swell, and leak into the retina. This stage can create dark spots in your vision.
As the disease progresses to a stage called proliferative diabetic retinopathy, new blood vessels begin to grow (or proliferate) on the surface of the retina. This stage can lead to severe vision problems and may even cause blindness.
Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:
Macular edema occurs when there is a buildup of fluid in the central most part of the retina, called the macula. The fluid buildup causes the macula to swell, distorting vision.
Macular edema may occur as a result of diabetic retinopathy when damaged blood vessels create abnormal leakage and accumulation of fluid in the retina. Macular edema may also occur as a result of eye surgery or from related inflammatory diseases.
Symptoms of macular edema include:
Optos is a form of ultra-widefield retinal imaging to capture a broad view of the retina. This technology incorporates low-powered lasers that scan while simultaneously producing a high-resolution image of the eye.
These images help us to detect and diagnose abnormalities in the retina.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technology that produces high-resolution cross-section photos of the retina. This view of the retina allows us to pinpoint certain retinal diseases and conditions as we can see the retina’s layers and thickness.
Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) testing measures the levels of certain nutrients in your eyes. Macular pigment is composed of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are found in the macula at a natural 2:1 ratio. Having high macular pigment levels can help absorb light and improve visual performance.
MPOD testing is a noninvasive scan that takes approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Based on your results, we can make recommendations to improve your macular pigment through supplements or dietary changes.
Please contact us if you have any questions, we’re happy to help!
You can find our beautiful new office at 90 Sheppard Avenue East in North York. Access the building’s parking lot just off of Sheppard Ave East onto the Parkway, around the back of the building. You can also access the Parkway by Doris Avenue, just past the Toronto Catholic School Board.
Eyes on Sheppard
