Cataracts
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Most of diabetic blindness is either cataracts or retinopathy.
Diabetic Retinopathy.
Yes, the majority of blindness in the this country is due to diabetes!
Diabetic eye disease is the lumping together all eye problems related.
This is how you would see an images at close range if you had a cataract.
With this particular disease lens of the eyes clouds over.
Also it can occur in one eye and have healthy vision in the other.
But the true facts are with diabetes, they can develops at an earlier age.
This disease is not just an age correlated problem any longer with the rise in children now getting adult onset diabetes (AOD).
Eighty percent of people over the age of 80 have eye diseases or have had the surgery to remove them.
How cataracts form:
Lens are the clear part of the eye that focus light on the retina, it helps us see images.
In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina.
Once light reaches the retina it automatically changes into nerve impulses and immediately is sent to and received by the brain.
If the lens is cloudy the image will not be interpreted by the retina.
Just like on a cloudy day we cannot see the sun.
It’s there but we don’t see it.
And as the disease progresses blindness occurs.
How they form:
Our lenses are made of water and protein mostly and sit directly behind the pupil and iris.
Clumps of this protein gather on the lens and make images blurred.
As the disease advances the lens is no longer clear rather a yellowing occurs with brown tints.
Should the disease be allowed to evolve, color distinction is lost.
Purple, blue, brown and black can’t be differentiated.
The exact cause of cataracts is unknown, no research has uncovered the source of the disease.
The risk grows as you get older, jet a few factors will contribute to the onset:
- Diabetes
Smoking
To much alcohol
Serious Eye Injury
Over-use of corticosteroids
Prolonged exposure to the sun without benefit of UV sunglasses
Symptoms are:
1st Cloudy or blurry vision
2nd Colors not recognized
3rd Glare from sun and headlight beyond normal with impaired night vision.
4th Double vision in one or both eyes
5th Eye sight gets worse with frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses.
How is the eye disease detected?
A cataract is detected by:
1. Visual acuity test which tells how well you see at various distances.
2. Dilated eye exam with drops placed in your eyes to widen, dilate the pupils.
3. Tonometry. An eye instrument that measures the pressure inside the eye.
Your eye doctor may do other tests to learn more about the health of your eye.
Cataracts need to be removed if vision impairment interferes with normal sight when doing everyday activities such as house work, driving or reading etc.
If at close range your vision is similar to the picture on the left. go see your doctor.
As you age the situation can get worse.
After you have reached the age of 65 you should get an eye exam once a year.
Have your eyes test every three years if you are younger.
Because we rely heavily on our eyes, taking care of them must be paramount!
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