Diabetes and Your Eyes

So you’re diabetic, and you know the usual, check your sugar, watch your diet, and check in with your physician regularly. But we’re more concerned about what you may not know.

When it comes to diabetes and your eyes, it can damage the small blood vessels in a part of your eye called the retina. The retina detects light that enters the eye, then sends signals to your brain about what the eye sees. The damaged blood vessels caused by diabetes can lead to vision loss and even blindness. When this happens it is called diabetic retinopathy. In order to slow the progression of this disease it is recommended to keep your blood sugar and blood pressure levels in target range. You can also practice the following care tips to slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy:

Self Care:

• healthy eating

  • limiting carbohydrates

  • low salt diet

• being physically active

  • may need to be approved by a physician

• monitoring blood sugar levels

• complying with medications

• practicing risk-reduction behaviors

  • no smoking

Eye Care:

• regular eye exams

• report vision changes to your physician

If you are diabetic and do not already see an optometrist we recommend paying close attention to the following symptoms. If you experience any of the following symptoms we recommend scheduling an appointment with your optometrist or a retina specialist to diagnose, treat, or prevent diabetic retinopathy.

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:

• Spots or dark strings floating in your vision (floaters)

• Blurred vision

• Fluctuating vision

• Impaired color vision

• Dark or empty areas in your vision

• Vision loss