MERRIAM, Kan. -- Women with Type 2 diabetes face a much greater risk of glaucoma, according to a new study.

KMBC's Kelly Eckerman reported that Nurses' Health Study highlighted the importance of regular eye exams to reduce the potential for blindness.

Nancy Tucker has been battling diabetes for five years, but she woke up one morning and knew something was wrong.

"I couldn't see. It was like a fog in one eye only. The next day, there was something in the other eye. It didn't last long, less than an hour," Tucker said.

Tucker went to her opthalmologist and found out that she has glaucoma, which is an increased internal pressure on the eye than can lead to blindness.

"Women, in particular, who have diabetes are at increased risk for glaucoma, even two- to threefold over those who don't have diabetes. So it's important not only to get an eye exam, but to be particularly mindful of glaucoma," Dr. Robert Thompson Jr. said.

Glaucoma is often called a silent thief because it gradually steals vision with few other symptoms, and if left untreated, it can lead to blindness, Eckerman reported.

"Studies show if you are able to reduce pressure in the eye by 39 percent, you can slow or halt progression of glaucoma so they don't lose any vision or are able to save their vision for the long-term," Thompson said.

The Nurses' Health Study followed more than 76,000 women.

Tucker said she is relieved that her doctor warned her to watch for any changes in her vision.

"You need to be aware of what might happen, what could happen sometime in the future, and if that happens, run, don't walk to your eye doctor," Tucker said.

The study also showed that patients who took medication regularly and and managed their diabetes decreased their risk of getting glaucoma, Eckerman reported.

More Information:

Glaucoma Research Foundation