Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010 - (Page 16)

A 16 Vim & Vigor · FA LL 2 010 Diabetes can threaten your eyesight. Protection starts with knowing what you’re up against Cataracts view of the ocean. Fluorescent sunsets. Your child’s ﬁrst smile. Your eyes allow you to experience some of life’s most magical moments. But having diabetes can impair your vision if you’re not careful. “Diabetes is a disease that affects all tissues in the body, including the eyes. If the diabetes is out of control and the blood glucose [sugar] runs higher than goal range for a period of time, there is a greater risk for eye damage to occur,” says Sue McLaughlin, a certiﬁed diabetes educator and a spokeswoman for the American Diabetes Association (ADA). “High blood glucose causes damage to the blood vessels and nerves in the eyes.” The good news is that while people with diabetes have a higher risk of vision loss than other people, most only develop minor eye disorders, according to the ADA. Understanding what you’re up against and getting regular, thorough eye exams can help prevent eye disease from progressing and ensure you’re able to see memorable sights for years to come. Cataracts are protein deposits that, as they grow larger, cloud the lens of the eye and impair vision. They can affect one or both eyes. People with diabetes have a 60 percent increased risk of developing cataracts, according to the ADA. Treatment can be as simple as wearing antiglare lenses in your glasses or sunglasses. Surgery is also an option if vision becomes signiﬁcantly affected. Symptoms to look out for: Blurred, clouded or worsening vision, sensitivity to light or glare, halos around lights. Glaucoma The most common form of glaucoma occurs as ﬂuid pressure gradually builds and damages the optic nerve, the bundle of nerve ﬁbers that carries images seen by the eye to the brain for processing. It can impair vision and is a major cause of blindness. People with diabetes are 40 percent more likely to develop glaucoma than people who do not have diabetes, according to the ADA. There is no cure. Treatment options include medication and surgery to prevent further vision loss. Symptoms to look out for: Symptoms usually not present early on; gradual vision loss, particularly peripheral vision. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JP GREENWOOD, GETTY

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010

Vim &_Vigor - Fall 2010
Contents
Nurturing Health
For Your Health
Network of Care
Study Skills
What’s in Your Medicine Cabinet?
See the Future
The Female Factor
Take a Bite Out of Stress
Starring Role
Shouldering the Pain
Train Your Brain
What Now?
Choose Your Own Adventure
Vein Pain
The Ultimate Gift
Better Bones
Relatively Speaking
Joint Ventures

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010

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