There can be some leakage of fluid from the blood cells under the retina. Some types of macular degeneration can be treated with laser therapy if diagnosed quickly enough. Diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease linked to diabetes, is more common in older diabetics. But about 40 percent of all diabetics have at least a mild case. The condition, which can be treated at almost any stage using laser therapy, occurs when blood vessels in the retina leak or produce abnormal vessels that bleed, says Dr. Bresnick.
Diabetic retinopathy can lead to partial or total loss of vision.
Vision is also threatened by glaucoma, a condition in which pressure within the eye can cause blindness without timely treatment. Glaucoma, which most commonly strikes people in their 40s and 50s, can cause symptoms ranging from blurry vision to halos around lights to difficulty seeing in dim settings. But the most common type of glaucoma, chronic open-angle glaucoma, has few symptoms and presents a special threat to those who do not receive regular eye exams. About 3 million Americans have open-angle glaucoma, according to the National Eye Institute. Treatment for glaucoma through medication or surgery is usually effective when the disease is promptly diagnosed.