You may be wondering what diabetes and eyesight have in common. The truth of the matter is that people often underestimate problems and conditions that can arise due to diabetes. Diabetic eye problems are a major concern for many people with diabetes and should not be overlooked.
It is recommended that those with diabetes have an eye exam done after their diagnosis and regularly after that. It’s estimated that around 40-45% of Americans with diabetes have some form of diabetic eye problems. Many of these individuals may not even know that they have eye problems caused by diabetes either. This means that their condition may be getting worse to the point where it is irreversible.
In this article, we’ll discuss why high blood sugar can cause eye problems, what the issues entail, and how to prevent eye problems caused by diabetes.
How Can High Blood Sugar Affect Eyesight?
Individuals contending with diabetes will have an elevated blood sugar compared to individuals that do not have diabetes. This high blood sugar level can significantly impact eyesight and can cause severe eye problems down the road. One of the first signs of diabetes, or elevated blood sugar, is blurry vision. At the time of my own diagnosis, I noticed that I began to struggle to see PowerPoints clearly in school. Words on a page started to become blurred together. Little did I know that my blood sugar was dangerously low. The reason why high blood sugar causes blurry vision is due to the many small blood vessels in your eyes being damaged by hyperglycemia. This causes fluid to leak into the retina, which leads to swelling. The tissue swelling around the retina causes blurry vision. This condition is known as macular edema. Diabetic macular edema can lead to blindness if it is left untreated.Common Diabetic Eye Problems
There are a few eye problems caused by diabetes that fall under “diabetic retinopathy.” This is a term used to describe retinal disorders caused by high blood sugar. Diabetic retinopathy is described as having damage to the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue of the retina. Regardless of the type of diabetes that you have, you may be at risk. One of the first signs of diabetic retinopathy is blurry vision. Diabetic eye problems are directly related to the blood vessels being blocked due to high blood sugar and the blood vessels not getting proper blood flow. This results in the retina not getting appropriately nourished.Glaucoma
Those with diabetes are twice as much at risk for having glaucoma than those without diabetes. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness for individuals over the age of 60. This condition is defined as the optic nerve being damaged due to pressure in the eye. This pressure in the eye is generally caused by fluid buildup. The fluid buildup can either be caused by an overproduction of fluid or damage to the drainage system. Typically, the fluid in the eye is drained through tissue known as trabecular meshwork. So, if fluid cannot be adequately drained, it will begin to buildup leading to increased pressure. Symptoms of glaucoma to look for include:- Patchy blind spots
- Tunnel vision
- Eye pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Severe headache
- Halos around lights
- Eye redness
- Blurred vision
Cataracts
Individuals with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts at a younger age than those without diabetes. Cataracts are defined as the lens of your eye becoming cloudy, which affects your vision. This condition is common among older adults and generally develops slowly. Surgery is an option to treat severe cataracts, which involves removing the old lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. Other treatments for this condition include getting new glasses, wearing anti-glare glasses, or using a magnifying glass. Symptoms of cataracts include:- Faded colors
- Blurry or cloudy vision
- Double vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Frequent prescription changes to glasses
- Glare or halo around lights
- Trouble seeing well at night