7. Visual problems
In type 2 diabetes there is a wide range of visual problems, from a mild blurred vision to total blindness. Medical science comprises all the eyes conditions affecting people with diabetes into the group of diabetic eye disease. Inside this group of clinical entities, we can name diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema (DME), cataract, and glaucoma. Let us see a brief review of such conditions.
In diabetic retinopathy, the blood circulation problems damage the retina, which is the light-sensitive part of our eyes. This is the most common cause of visual problems among type 2 diabetes patients. As a consequence of the retinopathy, there is another medical problem: diabetic macular edema, which is swelling in the macula, an area of the retina.
One of the bad news for diabetic people at risk of undergoing visual problems is that the disease often develops without any notice. When the patient sees “floating” spots in the visual field, it may be because of bleeding from abnormal retinal blood vessels. Those spots sometimes resolve after a while, but it may repeat over and over again, increasing the risk of permanent vision loss.
If you have experienced a blurred vision, it might be caused by an increase in glucose levels because the fluid problems it creates would affect the proper functioning of the eyes. This blurred vision is reversible as soon as the glucose levels go back to normal.
It is essential to emphasize the fact that controlling diabetes by following the prescribed treatment and keeping a healthy lifestyle can prevent (or at least delay) vision loss.
