Over 23 million people in the United States are living with diabetes, though some of them may not even know it. Diabetes Mellitus is a disease of increased blood sugar and affects many organs of the body, including the eyes. This is why it is the leading cause of blindness in adults between 20 and 74 years of age.

Some ocular complications of diabetes can be temporary, like fluctuating vision.

High blood glucose may cause the lens of the eye to swell. This in turn causes a decrease in vision. Getting a new pair of glasses prescription may not be the right choice.

The best solution is to get your blood sugar back into a healthy range, which will help stabilize your vision.

Other diabetic complications are more serious. People with diabetes have a 40 percent higher risk of developing glaucoma. This risk increases the longer someone is diabetic and the older they are. If glaucoma isn't diagnosed early enough or treated properly, it can result in permanent vision loss.

Cataracts are another common complication of diabetes. Although cataracts are a very common age related condition; diabetics are 60 percent more likely to develop them. Those with diabetes also tend to get cataracts at a younger age and with a faster progression rate.

Cataracts hinder the eye's ability to focus light, resulting in blurriness and glare. The only treatment available is surgical removal.

Retinopathy is one of the biggest concerns with diabetes. The longer you have diabetes, the greater your risk of developing this sight threatening complication.

Adults with type 1 diabetes rarely show signs of retinopathy before five years' time. On the contrary, people with type 2 diabetes often have eye problems at the time of their diagnosis.

Non-proliferative retinopathy or background retinopathy is the most common form. In this condition the blood vessels of the retina are weakened and cause micro-aneurysms. This can lead to bleeding in the retina and swelling in the macula. If the macula swells, the vision will be disrupted, and need to be treated.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is much more severe. At this stage, the retina is not getting the oxygen that it needs. So, new blood vessels start to grow to fix the problem. Unfortunately, these blood vessels are frail and tend to bleed easily. This can cause vision loss and scar tissue to form. The scar tissue can then lead to a retinal detachment.

When dealing with diabetes, it is important to maintain regular check-ups with your primary care doctor and your eye doctor. In between visits, be aware of signs that there might be something wrong with your eyes- flashes of light, black spots, blurred vision, or trouble with your central vision. Yearly, comprehensive dilated ocular examinations can assure healthy vision throughout your lifetime.

Technology has made it easier today to diagnose, treat and most importantly prevent vision loss from diabetes.