Why Does Eye Damage Occur?
Loss of vision in diabetes occurs largely through blood vessel damage. With high blood sugars, damage can occur to blood vessels throughout the body in three ways: Leakage: high blood sugars cause damage to individual cells and later shows up as damage to structures like capillaries, the smallest of blood vessels. Endothelial cells, which form a very smooth surface on the inner walls of blood vessels, and helper cells, called pericytes, are especially damaged by excess sugar. These cells lose the electrical charge normally found at their surface due to inactivation of mineral transporting enzymes and to depletion of energy resources in the high blood sugar environment. As damage progresses, the blood vessel walls starts to become porous, letting proteins and other materials leak out abnormally. Blood vessel blockage: high blood sugars cause partial and total blockages within existing blood vessels. Blockage of capillaries is found in background retinopathy, but a more serious form of b
