Aska Health Professional (715) 732-2101 Andrew Congdon 3003 Cleveland Ave. | Marinette, W Doctor of Optometry INSIGHT VISION CENTER Question: How can diabetes affect my eyes? Diabetes is a disease Retinopathy, some of which can that is on the rise in the severely damage your vision. When United States. According the blood vessels leak blood or fluid, to the American Diabeles you can get sweling or areas of the Assocaion, in 2015 reina that are not receiving the proper there were 303 million Americans nutrients. When this happens, the with diabetes. That comes to almost rena sends out signals to the body for 10% of te population, with one help, andthe body buds new tood third of those Americans being vessels into the retina. The problem undiagnosed. There are 1.5 million with these new blood vessels, is they new patents that are diagnosed leak worse han the old vessels in with diabetes every year It is the 7th the retina. This causes a cycle that eading cause of death, and it costs an continues to get worse until the retina estmated $245 billion toour economy cannolonger function, and the patient A. every year. This disease is on the cannokonger see. rise, mostly due to the type of diet The biggest risk factors for Diabetc Retinopathy is length of tme wth adtivity evels. Diabetes is a señous Diabetes. The longer you have the disease, and it can be very damaging disease, the higher risk you are for to the eyes. progression of Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetes causes a fluctuation in Other risk factors indude having a the blood sugar (gucose) levels high A1c, high blood pressure, or your veins and arteries. When your high cholesterol, which often are sugar levels change during the day, diagnosed in people with Diabetes. t can cause medium to small blood vessels to bleed or keak. The back The good news is. Dabet of your eye is called the retina, and Retinopathy and the damage it can t is what collects all the information cause s mosty preventable. With diet and exercise, people can lower and turns it into an image for yourtheir A1c (average blood glucose) brain The retina is ful of these small and better control their diabetes. to medium sized blood vesses, and vearty eye exams are very important they are particularty prone to leaking and bleeding with diabeles. If you to monitor for any sign of Dabetc have bleeding in the retina itis cledRetinopathy. There are procedures Dabesic Retinopathy, and it s the that can be done # the blood vessels eading cause of vision loss globaly are eaking, to prevent vision loss I that around one thrd and keep the eye healthy It is is estimated Diabeöc Retinopathy. There are dferent levels of Diabetc be recommending this of al diabetics have some level of ecommended to get a DILATED eye exam every year if you are diabeic and your primary care provider shoud