Approximately 16 million people in the United States
have diabetes and one-third of them do not know it.
Diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness among
adults and people with diabetes are 25 times more
likely to become blind than people without it. By
detecting and treating diabetic eye disease early
through annual, dilated eye exams, people with
diabetes can preserve their sight. What does
Diabetes have to do with my eyes? Diabetes can harm
your vision or even cause blindness. With diabetes,
your body does not use sugar the right way. This can
effect the blood vessels (arteries and veins) in
your eyes and other parts of your body.What is
diabetic retinopathy?
diabetic retinopathy is the eye disease people with
diabetes get most often. It is a major but
preventable cause of blindness in adults in the U.S.
The retina in the back of the eye sends pictures of
what we see to the brain. Diabetic retinopathy harms
the blood vessels in the retina. This causes blurry
vision. The longer you have diabetes the more likely
you are to get diabetic retinopathy.
How do I know if I have diabetic eye disease?
You might not know. There are no signs when you
first have the disease. In the early stages when the
treatment is most effective, your vision will not
change much and you won’t feel any pain. Severe
vision loss can usually be prevented by treating
early and appropriately. The best time to treat
diabetic eye disease is before you have any
symptoms.
If you have diabetes, have your eyes check
by an ophthalmologist (a medical doctor) like Dr.
Serdahl or Dr. Jones by calling our office now!
916-452-8105
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