Living with diabetes means managing your blood sugar levels and staying vigilant about many aspects of your health — and your eyes are no exception. High blood sugar levels can damage the tiny blood vessels in your eyes and lead to several serious eye conditions if left untreated.
But, like other diabetes complications, proactive care is the best way to protect your health. Anthony Cirino, DO, and our team at Cirino Eye Center provide comprehensive diabetic eye exams to help catch problems early and preserve your eyesight for years to come. Here’s what you need to know about how diabetes can affect your eye health and what you can do about it.
A 2021 study found that more than 26% of people with diabetes have diabetic retinopathy. While diabetes can cause many complications, retinopathy is one of the most common. It occurs when the blood vessels in your retina(s) are damaged due to prolonged high blood sugar.
Your retinas are the light-sensitive tissues at the backs of your eyes, and damage to the blood vessels they contain can threaten your vision. Along with retinopathy, diabetes can increase your risk of some other common eye problems.
When diabetic retinopathy begins, you may not notice symptoms. But, as it progresses, it can cause blurred vision, dark spots, or even permanent vision loss. Regular diabetic eye exams are essential, because they can detect these changes before symptoms appear and give you a chance to take action early.
Diabetes can also cause temporary changes in vision due to fluctuating blood sugar levels. You might notice that your vision gets blurry when your blood sugar is too high or too low. Although these shifts often resolve when your blood sugar stabilizes, they can be an indication that your diabetes management plan needs adjustment.
Cataracts primarily affect people 60 and older, but diabetes can increase your risk of developing cataracts at a younger age. A cataract is the clouding of your eye’s natural lens, which leads to blurry or dim vision.
High blood sugar can cause deposits to form on the lens of your eye more quickly, making cataracts a more common problem for people with diabetes. Fortunately, cataract surgery is an effective way to restore clear vision.
Another concern for people with diabetes is glaucoma. This group of eye diseases damages the optic nerve, typically due to increased pressure in the eye — and, once the damage is done, it can’t be reversed.
If you’re an adult, diabetes doubles your risk of developing glaucoma. And, because glaucoma typically has no early warning signs, routine eye exams are essential for catching the disease before it progresses too far.
Diabetes can have a serious impact on your eye health and your vision, but the good news is that proactive eye care can help you avoid and minimize complications. At Cirino Eye Center, our diabetic eye exams include a thorough evaluation of your retina and optic nerve using advanced imaging to spot the earliest signs of damage.
Getting regular eye exams allows us to track changes in your eye health over time. And if we identify any issues, we work with you and your diabetes care team to coordinate treatment and protect your vision.
If you have diabetes and it’s been more than a year since your last eye exam, book an appointment today. Message Cirino Eye Center online or call our Brunswick, Ohio, office at 330-222-8528 to get started today.
