Diabetes is a most common condition millions of people are affected by it worldwide but the worst thing is it can lead to various complications. Among those various complications eye health is also going to get influenced, most people don’t know that diabetes has a greater impact on the optic nerve which leads to the neuro-ophthalmic condition as a result serious vision impairment may occur. The below content will help you know how diabetes could affect the optic nerve and various types of neuro-ophthalmic issues that could arise in the future. By knowing this you will get to know the early intervention of the condition and its management.
Understanding the optic nerve
The optic nerve is an important part of eye health which transmits the visual information from the retinal part to the brain. To have good clear vision, a healthy optic nerve is vital when there is damage to the nerve that could lead to severe visual impairment. There are millions of optic nerves and they are susceptible to damage because of various health conditions like diabetes, so understanding optic nerves is vital to avoid the damage.
How does diabetes affect the optic nerve?
Diabetes can bring about various eye-related conditions, one well-known is diabetic retinopathy but the impact of diabetes on the optic nerve is less discussed and also treated less importantly. The high blood sugar level is the ultimate reason for diabetes that could damage the blood vessels that supply to the overall body including the optic nerve. This damage will pave the way to a range of neuro-ophthalmic conditions, some of which are as follows,
- Diabetic optic neuropathy is a condition that is due to damage to the optic nerve because of the higher blood sugar level. When the blood sugar level increases those results in poor blood flow or direct toxic effects to the nerve fiber this may lead to gradual vision loss and in severe cases full blindness is also possible.
- Ischemic optic neuropathy, diabetic patients are at higher risk of developing this condition. This is due to insufficient blood supply to the optic nerve which ends in sudden and painless vision loss. They are common in adult people who are with poorly controlled diabetes.
- Papillopathy is an optic nerve swelling that is associated with the diabetic condition, as the optic nerve head swells that will bring blurry vision and also some other visual disturbances.
- Diabetic retinopathy is connected with neuro-ophthalmic complications, generally, diabetic retinopathy affects the retina but in severe cases, it may lead to neuro-ophthalmic complications. For instance, proliferative diabetic retinopathy leads to neovascularization and later it will end up damaging the optic nerve.
Symptoms of optic nerve damage in diabetic patients
To prevent optic nerve damage it is essential to prevent complete vision loss, in that case, diabetic patients should be aware of the symptoms that can be an indication of optic nerve involvement. It includes,
- Sudden vision loss is common when a sudden issue with your vision that should not be ignored most of the time it will be an indication of a severe eye condition.
- Blurry vision when you are experiencing blurry vision persistently then it may be a sign of optic nerve damage.
- Color vision deficiency, suddenly experiencing difficulty in distinguishing color could also be a connected problem with the optic nerve.
- Visual field defects, blind spots, or peripheral vision loss could also be an indication of optic nerve damage.
Time for eye examination
Diabetes can be a common issue but the impact of them on your eye health is not common that will start hindering the quality of life you lead. Remember the damage to the optic nerve because of diabetes will also bring up the various neuro-ophthalmic complications. So take timely eye examinations, stay aware of it and visit the best eye hospital like The Eye Foundation for adequate guidance in handling any kind of eye condition.
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