5 key things you should know about diabetic eye disease

By Gisele Crespo

Licensed optician, Mango Optic

Did you know that diabetes can cause eye disease, vision loss and even blindness. To help you maintain your healthy vision, here are five things you and your family should know about diabetic retinopathy:

1 The chain of multiple eye problems—People with diabetes may experience multiple eye problems as a complication of this disease. Included in these problems are cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, which is the leading cause of blindness in American adults ages 20 to 74.

2 No symptoms, no pain— In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms. A person may not notice vision changes until the disease progresses. Blurred vision can occur when the macula swells due to fluid leakage. If new vessels grow on the surface of the retina, they can bleed into the eye, blocking vision.

3 Do you have diabetes? You are at risk—Anyone with diabetes is at risk of getting diabetic retinopathy. The longer someone has had diabetes, the more likely they are to get this eye disease. Over a lifetime, American adults overall have a 40% chance of developing type 2 diabetes. For Brazilian and other Latino adults, your chance is more than 50% and it's possible for this to develop at a younger age as well.

4 Stay in line! Take the medications prescribed by your doctor; Achieve and maintain a healthy weight; Add more physical activity to your daily routine; Control your ABC - A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol levels; and Kick the smoking habit.

5 Get a Comprehensive Eye Exam—If you have diabetes, be sure to get a comprehensive eye exam that can catch diabetic eye disease early or a dilation exam at least once a year. Diabetic eye diseases can be detected early and treated before noticeable vision loss occurs.

Mango Optic offers affordable eye exams in Boca Raton, using the latest in digital technology. Learn about the top benefits of our comprehensive eye exams. Call Mango Optic at 561-518-9133 or email us at info@mangooptic.com to make an appointment.

About Gisele Crespo

Gisele is a Florida Board of Opticianry Licensed Optician and Contact Lens Fitting Board Certified and owner of Mango Optic in Boca Raton. Her passion is helping people see better so they can get the most out of life. She holds a degree in optics from the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston.

Gisele is an active member of state and national optical associations and has appeared in The Boston Globe, WHDH Channel 7 in Boston, and on Nossa Rádio, a popular Brazilian show, in Florida.