If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and are afraid of losing your vision, you are not alone. Diabetes has many faces—it affects people of all ages, races and nationalities. Of the almost 24 million people in the United States with diabetes, almost half of those will eventually develop some sort of diabetic eye disease.

Diabetes primarily affects the blood vessels in the retina, the light sensing tissue at the back of the eye. These vessels work like hoses, bringing oxygen and other nutrients into and out of the eye. Damage to these vessels is called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy develops gradually and painlessly.

Although good control of your blood sugar and blood pressure can help prevent diabetic eye disease, significant problems can still occur. Regular dilated eye examinations are therefore the only way to diagnose problems early, before vision loss occurs.

Diabetic vision loss is often preventable with early detection and treatment. At Bennett & Bloom Eye Centers, we specialize in all aspects of diabetic eye disease. The advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques we use often keep you seeing normally, allowing you to enjoy life to its fullest. Read more.