"The best time to treat diabetic disease is before you have any symptoms."



Dr. Thomas Wright, Medical Director of Mecosta Health Services, is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician, and has been in practice since 1988. He provides general medical care for adults and geriatric patients, as well as children and newborns.

Call (231) 796-3200 for an appointment.

Article from the American Academy of Ophthalmology

 Diabetic Eye Disease
Approximately 29 million Americans age 20 or older have diabetes. But many, almost one-third, don't know they have the disease and are at risk for vision loss and other health problems.

What does diabetes have to do with your eyes?
Diabetes can harm your vision, or even cause blindness. With diabetes, your body does not use sugar the right way. This can affect the blood vessels (arteries and veins) in your eyes and other parts of your body. Diabetic eye disease, a group of eye problems that affects those with diabetes, includes diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma. The most common of these is diabetic retinopathy, which affects 5.3 million Americans age 18 and older.

What is diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is the eye disease people with diabetes get most often and can cause vision loss. It is a major but preventable cause of blindness in adults in the U.S. The blood vessels inside the retina become damaged from high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes. This leads to the leakage of fluids into the retina and the obstruction of blood flow. The retina at the back of the eye sends the pictures of what we see to the brain.
 		How do you know if you have diabetic eye disease?
You might not know. There are often no signs when you first have the disease. In the early stages when treatment is most effective, your vision will not change much and you won't feel any pain. However, severe vision loss can usually be prevented if treated early and appropriately. The best time to treat diabetic eye disease is before you have any symptoms.

More than one-third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not receive the recommended vision care and are at risk for blindness. Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, schedule a complete dilated eye examination with your Ophthalmologist at least once a year. Make an appointment promptly if you experience blurred vision and/or floaters that:
  • Affect only one eye
  • Last more than a few days
  • Are not associated with a change in blood sugar
In advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy, laser treatment has been shown to reduce the risk of severe vision loss and blindness, but is NOT: a cure for diabetic retinopathy, nor does the treatment restore vision which has already been lost. It can't preventfuture vision loss either, especially if diabetes or blood pressure is not well controlled.		 Diabetes can also affect your vision by causing cataracts and glaucoma. If you have diabetes, you may get cataracts at a younger age, and your chances of developing glaucoma are doubled.

Early diagnosis of diabetes and, most importantly, maintaining strict control of blood sugar is crucial. By self monitoring blood sugar levels and by using multiple insulin injections or using an insulin pump, you can slow the development of diabetic retinopathy and other complications of diabetes. Maintaining hypertension through diet, exercise and medication can also help reduce your risk of developing eye diseases associated with diabetes.

Your Family Physician or Ophthalmologist is the best source of information on diabetic eye disease, as well as eye health and safety.

If you would like more information on diabetic eye disease, please visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology's public information web site at www.medem.com/eyemd.

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