Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among people between the ages of 20 and 74, but it doesn't have to be. Early detection of the disorder itself, and careful monitoring by your eye care professional, can greatly reduce the risk of serious visual impairment. Other physical symptoms include frequent urination, unusual thirst, extreme hunger, and slow-healing wounds. Eye problems associated with diabetes The most serious eye problem associated with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy-a weakening or swelling of the tiny blood vessels nourishing the retina at the back of the eye. These injured blood vessels leak fluid or blood that damages the retina, causing blurred vision, and in severe cases, blindness.
Diabetes has many other effects on the eye.
Other diabetes-related disorders include heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and circulatory problems. In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy can be treated with laser therapy that uses a highly focused beam of light to seal off leaking blood vessels. Early detection and this type of treatment can reduce the risk of vision loss by 50 percent. In cases where the disease is too advanced for laser treatment, surgery inside the eye may restore useful vision in some patients.