Blindness can occur for a multitude of reasons. Diabetes can cause blindness through a few conditions. Diabetes blindness causes thousands to lose their eye-sight every year. Diabetes interferes with the blood supplied to the eye, which can cause severe damage to the retina. This strain to the eye can cause loss of vision up to blindness.
Diabetic Eye Diseases
Diabetes is a disease that effects the way a person’s body regulates the blood glucose (sugar). The main hormone used by the body to regulate glucose is insulin, a diabetic’s body does not make enough insulin or can not process the insulin produced by the pancreas. Diabetes can affect a person in many different ways, including a decrease in vision. There a few diseases that can cause diabetes blindness:
- Diabetic Retinopathy: The most common cause for loss of vision in people with diabetes. This disease affects the blood vessels in the retina. The retina detects light and converts the light into signals that are sent from the optic nerve to the brain. Diabetic retinopathy causes blood vessels located in the retina to leak fluid or hemorrhage, which disturbs vision.
- Diabetic macular edema (DME): A common side effect of Diabetic Retinopathy, DME is the swelling in the macula. The macula is the part of the eye between the optic nerve and the retina that is needed for sharp vision, reading, driving, and other straight-ahead vision tasks.
- Glaucoma: A group of diseases that cause damage to the eyes optic nerve. Some forms of glaucoma are caused by elevated blood pressure inside the eye. Adults with diabetes are double the risk for glaucoma than those without.
- Cataract: Adults with diabetes are between 2 – 5 times more likely to develop cataract. This disease clouds the eyes lens, disrupting vision.
Your disability claim for diabetes blindness was rejected by your insurance company. What can you do?
It is common knowledge that insurance companies will deny your disability claim for any number of reasons. It is in your best interest to hire a law firm that has experience in disability insurance law.
Our attorneys focus in disability law issues regarding private long-term disability policies and employer group disability plans (also called ERISA disability plans).
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Our firm routinely works with complicated medical facts surrounding diabetes disability. We communicate with treating doctors and experts, and challenge insurance company physicians and other experts who seek to further their own interests. We have helped many disabled people, who are unable to work because of diabetes, diabetes blindness, or other forms of eye disease, successfully appeal denials and secure the benefits they deserve. Do not give up on your claim. Call Mehr Fairbanks Trial Lawyers Toll Free Today at 800-249-3731.