Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentRisk FactorsDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Risk Factors
Diagnosis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Blurred vision can be one of the early warning signs ofdiabetes. If left uncontrolled, diabetes can cause progressive damage to different structures of the eyes, including theretinaand lens.
Diabetes is a condition that causeshyperglycemia(high blood sugar). Over time, this can cause blood vessels to narrow, starving tissues of the oxygen and nutrients needed to function normally. When the eyes are involved, blurring can occur and may even progress to permanent vision loss.
This article looks at the symptoms and causes of blurred vision in people with diabetes. It also explains how diabetic eye diseases are diagnosed, treated, and prevented.
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Diabetic eye diseases are a group of eye problems that tend to affect people with long-term diabetes. Blurred vision is a common feature, but other symptoms may accompany depending on which part of the eye is affected.
These conditions include diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, glaucoma, and cataracts. The problem may be bilateral (affecting both eyes) or unilateral (affecting only one eye).
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathyaffects the inner lining at the back of each eye, called the retina. This is the part of the eye that senses light and turns it into signals that the brain interprets as vision.
Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:
Diabetic Macular Edema
Diabetic macular edemacauses swelling in the central part of the retina, called themacula, used for reading, driving, and recognizing faces. It occurs as an extension of diabetic retinopathy rather than on its own.
Symptoms of diabetic macular degeneration include:
Glaucoma
Glaucomais a group of eye diseases that can damage theoptic nervethat connects the eye to the brain. Uncontrolled diabetes is one such condition that can cause and/or accelerate glaucoma.
Symptoms of glaucoma include:
Cataracts
Cataractsare the clouding of the lens of the eyes that often occurs with age. In people with uncontrolled diabetes, they tend to occur at an earlier age and ofter more severely.
Symptoms of cataracts include:
What Are the Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy?
Causes of Diabetic Eye Diseases
At the heart of all diabetic eye diseases are persistently high blood glucose (sugar) levels. This can directly or indirectly cause damage to the structures of the eyes.
The damage caused to one part of the eye can have a knock-on effect, leading to additional eye complications and/or accelerating the progression of pre-existing eye diseases.
How Diabetic Retinopathy Occurs
High blood sugar can cause damage to very small blood vessels calledcapillaries. Over time, the build-up of sugar within capillaries can cause the walls to stick together and restrict the flow of blood to different organs of the body.
The restriction of blood flow to the back of the eyes can cause retinal scarring and symptoms of diabetic retinopathy.
How Diabetic Macular Edema Occurs
The blockage of blood vessels in the retina can cause them to swell, leading to the formation of tiny bulges known asmicroaneurysms.
As the walls of these vessels continue to thin, they can start to leak fluids into surrounding tissues, leading to the development of diabetic macular edema.
How Glaucoma and Cataract Occurs
To compensate for the loss of blood flow to the retina, new blood vessels may start to grow. These weaker vessels can easily rupture and bleed into the middle part of the eye. This not only causes scarring but increases the pressure within the eye to dangerously high levels.
Highintraocular eye pressureis one of the key contributing factors to the development of glaucoma.
High blood sugar can also cause structural changes to the lens of the eye as deposits start to accumulate. This can accelerate the progression of cataracts in people with diabetes.
People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma or cataracts as someone without diabetes.
Can Diabetes Medications Cause Blurry Vision?
Blurred vision can also be the result of diabetes treatment itself.
Once blood glucose levels are normalized, the intraocular pressure will decrease and return your vision back to normal.
Why Does My Vision Get Blurry After Eating?
How to Treat Diabetic Eye Diseases
The main treatment for diabetic eye diseases is the tight control of your blood sugar levels. Early on, all that may be needed are frequent eye exams to check the status of your vision. Efforts would also be made to manage your diabetes with medications, diet, and exercise.
You would also need to control your blood pressureand cholesterol, both of which contribute to diabetic eye diseases. Cigarettes should be stopped as tobacco smoke causes blood vessels to further narrow, increasing the risk of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.
Additional treatments may be prescribed if you sustain vision loss or are at risk of disease progression. These may involve:
Complications and Risk Factors Associated With Diabetic Eye Diseases
The main concerns about diabetic eye diseases are vision loss and possible blindness. In fact, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of vision loss in adults ages 20 to 74 worldwide.
Of the 285 million people living with diabetes around the world today, around one-third have signs of diabetic retinopathy. Of these, a further one-third have vision-threatening eye complications.
In the United States, as many as 40% of people withtype 2 diabetesand 80% of those withtype 1 diabetesexperience some degree of diabetic neuropathy.
Another possible complication of diabetic retinopathy is adetached retina. This can occur spontaneously as scarring or new blood vessel growth displaces the retina from underlying tissues. A detached retina requires immediate medical care to avoid severe vision loss or blindness.
Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy and other diabetic eye diseases include:
What to Know About Diabetic Retinopathy
Are There Tests to Diagnose Diabetic Eye Disease?
If you have diabetes, your healthcare provider will want to regularly check your eyes for any abnormal changes whether you have symptoms or not.
If there are signs of diabetic retinopathy, you will be advised to undergo certain tests and procedures. This may involve a specialist known as anophthalmologistwho specializes in diseases of the eye.
A comprehensive eye exam may involve some or all of the following:
What Is a Diabetes Eye Exam?
Any changes to your vision warrant a visit to your healthcare provider if you have diabetes. With that said, you should seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the signs and symptoms of a detached retina, including:
A detached retina is considered a medical emergency. If not treated immediately, the detachment can progress, increasing the risk of permanent vision loss and blindness.
Summary
Blurred vision is a common symptom in people with diabetes, particularly those with poorly controlled blood sugar. Persistently high blood glucose can cause progressive damage to structures of the eyes, leading to diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, glaucoma, or cataracts.
The primary treatment of diabetic eye disease is improved blood sugar control with medications and changes in lifestyle. Additional treatment may be needed to repair damage or prevent further injury to the retina, macula, optic nerve, or lens of the eye.
A Word From Verywell
If you are being treated for diabetes, it is in your best interest to have regular eye exams to check for any changes in the structure or function of your eyes.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) recommends a yearly eye exam for people with type 1 diabetes starting within five years of their diagnosis. People with type 2 diabetes should get a yearly eye exam as soon as they are diagnosed.
By spotting a problem early, your healthcare provider can prescribe treatments that may help preserve your long-term vision.
People who have experienced vision loss due to diabetic eye disease may benefit from care in alow vision rehabilitation clinic. Special training and devices (like anti-glare screens and lighted magnifying lenses) can help make the most of your remaining vision so that you can continue to be active and independent.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic eye disease.National Eye Institute.Diabetic retinopathy.American Diabetes Association.Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.12. Retinopathy, neuropathy, and foot care: standards of medical care in diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Supplement_1):S185-94. doi:10.2337/dc22-S012American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is glaucoma? Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment.American Optometric Association.Cataract.Lee R, Wong TY, Sabanayagam C.Epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and related vision loss,Eye Vis (Lond).2015;2:17. doi:10.1186/s40662-015-0026-2Nentwich MM, Ulbig MW.Diabetic retinopathy - ocular complications of diabetes mellitus.World J Diabetes. 2015;6(3):489-99. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i3.489Feltgen N, Walter P.Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment–an ophthalmologic emergency.Dtsch Arztebl Int.2014;111(1-2):12-21. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2014.0012National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Managing diabetes.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic eye disease.National Eye Institute.Diabetic retinopathy.American Diabetes Association.Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.12. Retinopathy, neuropathy, and foot care: standards of medical care in diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Supplement_1):S185-94. doi:10.2337/dc22-S012American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is glaucoma? Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment.American Optometric Association.Cataract.Lee R, Wong TY, Sabanayagam C.Epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and related vision loss,Eye Vis (Lond).2015;2:17. doi:10.1186/s40662-015-0026-2Nentwich MM, Ulbig MW.Diabetic retinopathy - ocular complications of diabetes mellitus.World J Diabetes. 2015;6(3):489-99. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i3.489Feltgen N, Walter P.Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment–an ophthalmologic emergency.Dtsch Arztebl Int.2014;111(1-2):12-21. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2014.0012National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Managing diabetes.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic eye disease.National Eye Institute.Diabetic retinopathy.American Diabetes Association.Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.12. Retinopathy, neuropathy, and foot care: standards of medical care in diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Supplement_1):S185-94. doi:10.2337/dc22-S012American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is glaucoma? Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment.American Optometric Association.Cataract.Lee R, Wong TY, Sabanayagam C.Epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and related vision loss,Eye Vis (Lond).2015;2:17. doi:10.1186/s40662-015-0026-2Nentwich MM, Ulbig MW.Diabetic retinopathy - ocular complications of diabetes mellitus.World J Diabetes. 2015;6(3):489-99. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i3.489Feltgen N, Walter P.Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment–an ophthalmologic emergency.Dtsch Arztebl Int.2014;111(1-2):12-21. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2014.0012National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Managing diabetes.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic eye disease.
National Eye Institute.Diabetic retinopathy.
American Diabetes Association.Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.12. Retinopathy, neuropathy, and foot care: standards of medical care in diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Supplement_1):S185-94. doi:10.2337/dc22-S012
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is glaucoma? Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment.
American Optometric Association.Cataract.
Lee R, Wong TY, Sabanayagam C.Epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and related vision loss,Eye Vis (Lond).2015;2:17. doi:10.1186/s40662-015-0026-2
Nentwich MM, Ulbig MW.Diabetic retinopathy - ocular complications of diabetes mellitus.World J Diabetes. 2015;6(3):489-99. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i3.489
Feltgen N, Walter P.Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment–an ophthalmologic emergency.Dtsch Arztebl Int.2014;111(1-2):12-21. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2014.0012
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Managing diabetes.
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