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Diabetes refers to a metabolic condition in which your body can’t produce or use insulin, but it doesn’t only affect blood sugar levels. If there’s too much sugar in your body and you can’t break it down with insulin, your body goes into hyperglycemia (high levels of blood sugar). This can impact your vision, so proper eye care with diabetes is essential to maintain optical health. 

How Diabetes Can Affect Eye Health

Hyperglycemia can temporarily lead to blurry vision as your body tries to cut back on the energy it uses until your blood sugar can get back to normal. People with diabetes are also at a higher risk of developing glaucoma, a condition in which pressure builds up in the eye, gradually causing vision loss as the retina and nerves are damaged.

Cataracts are another eye health concern that can occur in those with diabetes. A cataract develops when the eye’s lens becomes cloudy, which makes it difficult to see clearly or in low lighting.

People with diabetes are also at risk of developing macular edema, which is when the macula—the part of the retina that sees super-fine detail—swells due to leaking fluid. This can make vision blurry and wavy while impacting the colors you see. Diabetic retinopathy affects one-third of people with diabetes over 40 and happens when the blood vessels behind the eye are damaged. In extreme cases, this condition can eventually lead to blindness. 

When You Should See a Professional

If you have diabetes, the eye carebest way to take care of your eye health is to have a comprehensive eye exam every year. In addition to regular checkups, if you notice blurry vision, difficulty focusing, spots, or any other unusual vision occurrences, see an eye care professional right away for an exam. 

Following a diagnosis, diabetic eye disease can be treated with medications that may be able to reverse the negative effects on the eye. Laser treatment can be used to reduce swelling in the retina and repair blood vessels. Finally, surgery is an option to fix cataracts or to repair tears and damage to the retina.

 

If you have diabetes and want to trust your eye care with a professional, turn to Midwest Eye Center: A Division of TriState Centers for Sight in the Greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky area. This talented team of eye doctors will work diligently to improve your vision by choosing the appropriate course of action that best fits your specific diagnosis. Visit their website for more information or call (859) 525-6215 to schedule an appointment. 

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