National Eye Institute

November is National Diabetes Month

Diabetic eye disease, a leading cause of blindness, often has no early warning signs. That’s why it’s so important for people with diabetes to get regular eye exams to catch problems early — and get timely treatment and the right follow-up care.

More than 30 million people living in the United States have diabetes. Having diabetes increases the risk for vision loss and blindness from diabetic eye diseases. The most common diabetic eye disease is diabetic retinopathy, but people with diabetes are also at higher risk for diabetic macular edema (DME), cataract, and glaucoma.

The longer a person has diabetes, the greater their risk of developing diabetic eye disease. But the good news is that early detection and treatment can lower the risk of blindness by 95%. And managing diabetes — with diet, exercise, and medication — is the best way for people with diabetes to lower the risk of vision loss.

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