Diabetes Health Tips
Eye Health and Diabetes
People with uncontrolled diabetes are at a greater risk for vision loss and eye disease. Uncontrolled diabetes may damage the small blood vessels at the back of the eyes, leading to vision loss. In fact, in people with diabetes between the ages of 18-64 years, diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss (1). Unfortunately, 60% of people with diabetes do not get an annual, dilated eye exam. (1). Vision loss may be avoided with early detection and treatment in 90% of people with diabetes. (1)
Some people with diabetes with diabetic eye diseases (retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts and macular edema) have no signs or symptoms until it is too far advanced to ignore. Some of those symptoms if present, may include the following: blurred vision, dark spots, flashes of lights, seeing increased number of floaters, double vision or poor night vision.
People with diabetes can protect their eyes and lower your chance for vision loss with these steps:
- Communicate to your eye doctor your diabetes diagnosis.
- Get comprehensive vision exams, including dilated eye exams at least once a year, so your eye doctor can spot any problems early.
- Pay close attention to any changes in your vision since many eye problems do not show obvious symptoms.
- Quit smoking. Quitting lowers your risk for diabetes-related eye diseases and improves your health in many other ways too.
For more information on diabetes and eye health please go to: https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/eye-health
(1) Source – Centers for disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes and Vision loss. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/diabetes-vision-loss.html