How can you help prevent blindness from diabetes?
This table shows the major causes of blindness in people who have diabetes and what you can do to help prevent vision loss.
Keeping your blood sugar levels and blood pressure within a target range is always important. You also need regular dilated eye exams to help find eye diseases early. Finding and treating eye diseases early can help prevent or delay vision loss.
Condition | How it causes vision loss | How to help prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetic retinopathy | It damages the retina, the section of your eye that captures visual information. |
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| Glaucoma | It increases pressure in the eye, which damages your retina. |
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| Cataracts | It clouds the lens, the section of your eye that focuses light. |
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Diabetes and vision problems: Is it safe to exercise?
It's important to stay as active as you can, even if you have vision problems from diabetes. But first ask your doctor what physical activities are safe for you to do. If you bend, lift things, or move fast, it may affect your health or vision, especially if you have diabetic retinopathy.
What eye diseases can diabetes cause?
Many people with diabetes develop diabetic retinopathy. It can lead to poor vision and even blindness. Retinopathy can also cause macular edema. Swelling of the macula can make vision much worse.
People who have diabetes are also at risk for other problems that damage vision. These include:
- Cataracts.
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Cataracts are often caused by a lifetime of sun exposure. Diabetes makes them form faster.
- Glaucoma.
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People with diabetes are also at risk for a severe form of glaucoma called neovascular glaucoma.
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