Type 2 Diabetes - Using An Eye Exam To Diagnose Diabetes and Diabetic Complications

We all know the importance of keeping our eyes healthy. But what many people don't realize is not only can the health of your eyes tell you a great deal about what is going on inside your body, but they also have the ability to spot the development of certain conditions... like Type 2 diabetes.

How can the eyes determine the likelihood of someone developing Type 2 diabetes? Because so much of a diabetic's health can be linked to their eyes. When blood sugar levels are allowed to run out of control, the eyes are one of the first places that experience complications.

Diabetes can cause damage to these parts of your eye:

1. Retina: The tissue in the back of the eye that transmits visual images to the brain via the optic nerve.

2. Vitreous: The clear matter within your eyes between the lens and retina.

3. Lens: The front of the eye that brings in light and images.

4. Optic Nerve: This is the largest nerve of the eye; it carries images by way of electric impulses from the retina to the brain.

5. Blood vessels: These vessels carry blood to your eye and can become clogged just like other blood vessels.

How can your eyes be affected? High blood sugar and high blood pressure are factors contributing to the risk of eye disease and complications.

Over time, it is quite common for our eyes to lose some of their ability. Eventually for many, we lose clarity, the ability to read up close, far off vision becomes cloudy, etc. But how do you know how much of this is normal and how much is being facilitated by Type 2 diabetes? Without the help of a doctor, you won't.

Every diabetic should be diligently seeing an ophthalmologist annually, just like they do their regular doctor. In fact, the ophthalmologist might pick up on key issues your regular doctor might miss simply because you are not aware they are actual issues that need to be addressed.

Since high blood pressure and high blood sugar have the ability to affect many different aspect of your vision, an ophthalmologist is the right person to check all of these possible trouble spots.

Symptoms showing there could be problems include:

    blurred vision,
    seeing dark spots,
    loss of peripheral vision,
    cloudy vision,
    night vision problems,
    sensitivity to light, and more.

Some of these issues are treatable, but unfortunately, some aren't. Once the more serious conditions appear, it might be too late to take action and the damage is often irreversible.

When an ophthalmologist checks your eyes, they are not only looking for clear vision, but other problems, too. One of the main areas they are checking is the pressure within your eyes. This tells them if there is too much pressure for the tiny blood vessels of the eyes to endure. It doesn't take much in elevated pressure for these blood vessels to rupture and begin leaking blood into your eye.

Ophthalmologists also check for cataracts, both those that have developed on their own or as a result of other conditions. Although some eye conditions do not cause severe disruption in your vision in their early stages, it is still far better to remain vigilant of your eyes so anx problems can be corrected before they turn into major issues.

How do you start to create a healthy lifestyle today so you can avoid damage occurring to your eyes?


Article Source: Beverleigh H Piepers