Caption for page five: How does diabetes damage your eyes? Description for page five: Illustrations include a woman's profile with a detailed projection of the anatomy of the eye and a close projection of how damaged blood vessels look to an eye care professional.

A healthy retina is needed for good vision. The retina is in the back of the eye. It is the part of the eye that can sense light. Over time, high blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol can damage the tiny blood vessels in your retina. These blood vessels may swell and become blocked. New, weaker blood vessels may form. When these changes occur, a person has developed some level of diabetic retinopathy. People with diabetes are also at risk for cataract, a clouding of the lens, which is responsible for focusing light on the retina. Glaucoma is also more common at an earlier age in people with diabetes. This group of eye diseases can damage the optic nerve in the eye, which sends information from your retina to your brain to tell you what you are seeing.