If you developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy, it's important to understand that you are at a higher risk of developing diabetes as you age. One of the first early warning signs of diabetes is blurry vision. The reason for this is because high blood sugar causes your lens to swell, which makes your vision blurry. If you had gestational diabetes and are experiencing blurry vision, it's important to seek medical care from your doctor to determine if you have developed diabetes. If so, you'll also need to see an ophthalmologist for diabetic eye treatment. Here's what you need to know.
Eye conditions caused by diabetes
Diabetes can cause blurry vision, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic macular edema. The longer your blood sugars are high, the more damage could occur to your eyes and vision. Treating your diabetes is essential in reducing your risks of developing these eye conditions, but you may also need to be treated by an ophthalmologist.
You'll need to have a comprehensive eye exam which includes dilating your pupils so the ophthalmologist can look at your retinas at the back of your eyes. That way, the ophthalmologist can determine which type of eye condition you have, if any, and at what stage the condition is in, so the appropriate treatment regimen can be determined.
Diabetic eye treatments
Treatment for diabetic eye conditions, of course, is determined by which type of condition you have. Treatment may be in the form of injection medication that blocks the growth of abnormal eye vessels. This medication can also stop fluid leaks which cause blurry vision and are symptoms of diabetic macular edema. There are also laser treatments that are used to treat leaky blood vessels and the growth of abnormal blood vessels.
Surgery is also an option for those who have severe forms of eye problems that are comorbid with diabetes, including vitrectomy and cataract lens surgery. Vitrectomy involves removing vitreous gel that has been compromised by scar tissue caused by diabetic retinopathy. The natural vitreous gel is replaced with a clear salt solution so the eye can maintain its shape. Cataract lens surgery involves the removal of the cloudy cataract formation to improve vision.
Whether you currently have a diabetic eye condition or not, it's important to schedule regular eye exams with your ophthalmologist in the future as diabetes and the comorbid eye conditions can be progressive. If you need diabetic eye treatment, going here can help you connect with local optometrists.
When you look in the mirror and focus on your eyes, what do you see? Hopefully you see a strong and vibrant person — someone who enjoys and embraces life. Hopefully you also see a set of healthy eyes, although that can be tough to determine just with a glance in the mirror. Eyes can look healthy on the surface when really something sinister is going on inside of them. That's one reason why visiting the eye doctor is so important.
If you would like to learn more about eye health, optometrists, and even contact lenses, you've come to the right place. We curated the articles on this website very carefully to provide you with the best information on these topics.