TUESDAY, Nov. 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- People with diabetes face a number of health challenges related to their chronic condition, and loss of vision due to retinal damage is one of them. “Diabetes can silently damage a person’s most precious sense, their sight, before symptoms even appear.
That’s why everyone with diabetes should focus on their eyesight and receive regular dilated eye exams,” said , president of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS). However, there have been significant advances in early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, Jumper added in an ASRS news release. “Losing sight from diabetes-related eye disease is not a foregone conclusion,” Jumper said.
“There is hope, including advances in early detection and treatment spearheaded by retina specialists that can help people with diabetes enjoy healthy vision for a lifetime.” The ASRS is encouraging people with diabetes to learn more about the ways their condition can affect their eye health. Nearly 40 million Americans have diabetes, and nearly half of those folks will develop diabetic retinopathy.
In that condition, diabetes causes damage to the blood vessels of the retina. Factors that can increase a diabetic person’s risk of developing diabetic retinopathy include: Poor control of blood sugar levels High blood pressure Kidney disease Elevated cholesterol Pregnancy Many with diabetic retinopathy might have the condition a long time without symptoms, the ASRS says..
