Diabetes and Eye Disease

Diabetes can affect many parts of your body, including your eyes. Knowing that your vision may be at risk can feel challenging, but at UMass Memorial Health, we help you reduce your risk of eye problems related to diabetes. An experienced team provides eye screenings and other services to detect and treat vision problems as early as possible. 

Understanding Diabetic Retinopathy 

High blood sugar due to diabetes can damage the blood vessels in your retina. This layer of tissue at the back of your eye sends electrical signals to the brain. The condition, called diabetic retinopathy, may lead to temporary or permanent vision problems, including total blindness. 

Smoking, high blood pressure and kidney disease [EQ1] can also increase your risk of diabetes-related eye disease. Managing diabetes is the best way to prevent eye disease or keep it from getting worse.

In addition to diabetic retinopathy, other types of diabetes-related eye diseases we treat include: 
Cataracts
Diabetes-related macular edema (fluid buildup and swelling in the retina)
Glaucoma

Symptoms of Diabetes-Related Eye Disease

Early stages of eye disease may not cause symptoms, but as the condition progresses, it can cause: 
Blurred vision
Dark areas
Difficulty seeing at night
Flashes of light
Poor color vision
Spots or floaters

Diabetes Eye Exams in Central Massachusetts

Yearly eye exams can help us diagnose diabetes-related vision problems early, before symptoms appear. Screening involves a simple, painless test called a dilated retinal exam. Your doctor uses eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupils (the round openings in the middle of your eyes). Then, they examine the blood vessels in the back of your eye with a special magnifying glass. 

We offer diabetic retinopathy screenings at two convenient locations:
UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester 
UMass Memorial Health at Northborough Crossing
 

Our Multispecialty Approach to Diabetes-Related Eye Disease Care

Diabetes specialists, ophthalmologists and other experts at UMass Memorial work together to keep your eyes as healthy as possible. We may recommend: 
Lifestyle modifications: Staying healthy with diet and exercise can help you keep your blood sugar and blood pressure in check, reducing your risk of eye disease. 
Medication: You may need medicine to prevent abnormal blood vessel growth in your eyes and stop leaks from damaged blood vessels. 
Laser treatment: We use a beam of light to make small burns on your retina at the back of your eye. The heat shrinks blood vessels, reducing fluid buildup and swelling. 
Vitrectomy: We may recommend surgery to remove scar tissue in your vitreous (clear gel-like substance in the back of your eye) to prevent a detached retina. 
Cataract surgery: We remove a cloudy lens (structure at the front of your eye that is normally clear) and replace it with an artificial lens to improve your vision.