There are many patients with Diabetes Mellitus who believe that the underlying disease is simply an inability to effectively metabolize and process glucose. Unfortunately, the reality is that the effects of diabetes are considerably more widespread and actually effect many organs and tissues throughout your body. Diabetes causes damage to the small blood vessels throughout the body. When diabetes damages these small blood vessels it can impair the normal circulation of blood in organs and tissues. It is quite common for patients with diabetes to experience difficulty with the circulation in their legs, kidneys, heart, brain and eyes--especially the very small blood vessels of the eye found in the Retina. When diabetes causes damage to the small blood vessels in the retina, it is called Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic Retinopathy is the most frequent cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20-74 years old (http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/26/suppl_1/s99).

However, with early diagnosis and treatment, progression of the disease and its associated vision loss can at a minimum be slowed, and in many cases vision loss from Diabetic Retinopathy can be prevented.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or even if you are just glucose intolerant, you should have a thorough diabetic eye examination at Riverside Eye Center in Norway, Maine. Please call us at Riverside Eye Center in Norway, Maine at 207.743.0027 or Riverside Eye Center in Auburn, Maine at 207-786-2500.