Diabetic Eye Exams
Diabetes is a chronic condition that controls how your body produces and uses insulin, a hormone that regulates your blood glucose levels. Over time, if unmanaged, diabetes can lead to the development of degenerative eye diseases that can steal your vision.
Types of diabetic eye disease include:
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels in the back of the eye become damaged due to elevated blood glucose levels. The damaged blood vessels swell, burst, and leak blood and other fluid into the eye, causing scarring, increased intraocular pressure, and impaired vision.
Diabetic Macular Edema
Diabetic macular edema results from untreated diabetic retinopathy. The leakage from damaged blood vessels causes the tissues surrounding the macula to swell and deteriorate, leading to central vision loss.
