If you live with diabetes, your eyes need looking after just as much as your sugar levels. Over time, high blood sugar can damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina — the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. This is called diabetic retinopathy, and it is one of the leading causes of blindness in working-age adults around the world.
The danger is the silence
Here is the part that surprises many people: in its early stages, diabetic retinopathy usually causes no symptoms at all. Your vision can feel perfectly normal while damage is quietly beginning. In fact, studies suggest that nearly three out of four people who already have diabetic retinopathy do not know they have it.
By the time vision becomes blurred, some of the damage may be harder to treat. That is why “I can see fine” is exactly the wrong reason to skip an eye check.
Warning signs (often these come later)
- New floaters — dark spots, threads or cobweb shapes drifting across your view
- Blurred vision, or vision that comes and goes
- Trouble reading or seeing faces and distant objects
- Dark or empty patches in your sight
If you notice any sudden change in vision, don’t wait — see an eye doctor promptly.
The hopeful part
Most of the vision loss from diabetic eye disease can be prevented when it is found early and treated in time. Treatments — such as laser, injections or other care — work best before sight is badly affected.
What you should do
- If you have diabetes (type 1 or type 2), have a dilated retinal eye examination at least once a year — even if your eyes feel completely normal.
- Keep your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol under control with your physician’s help.
- Don’t wait for symptoms. A yearly check is one of the kindest things you can do for your future sight.
A diabetic eye check is quick and painless. Ask us, or your doctor, to arrange one.