Diabetes and Your Eyesight

If you have diabetes, an annual eye exam could save your eyesight. The majority of patients with diabetes have no visual symptoms initially. They may experience blurred or wavy vision without realizing the severity of these symptoms. Eye diseases that can affect people with diabetes include diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, cataracts, and glaucoma. Eye exams can help find these conditions early, before they cause long-term, irreversible vision loss or blindness.

Prevent diabetic eye diseases in 5 steps

• Get a diabetic eye exam
• Control your blood sugar levels
• Maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• Quit smoking
• Exercise

Get a diabetic eye exam

Diabetes can cause many changes in your body, including your eyes. An annual comprehensive eye exam is very important in detecting and early diagnosing any vision problems.
 

Control your blood sugar levels

High blood sugar can also damage the blood vessels in your eyes. Bleeding and swelling in the retina is the leading cause of vision loss secondary to diabetes. Maintaining good control of your blood sugar helps prevent these problems.
 

Maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels

High blood pressure and high cholesterol can increase your risk for eye disease. Keeping both under control will not only help your eyes but your overall health.
 

Quit smoking

Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body. If you smoke, your risk for diabetes-related eye diseases is higher. Giving up smoking will help reduce your risk.
 

Exercise

In general, the best time to exercise is one to three hours after eating, when your blood sugar level is likely to be higher. Regular exercise such as walking and swimming can help your eyes stay as healthy as possible while helping to control your diabetes.