There's a good reason why your physicians insist on keeping your blood sugar under control: diabetes may wreck havoc on your heart, kidneys, and nerves if you don't. It can also affect your eyesight. According to research published in the Lancet, diabetic retinopathy (DR), a condition that affects the light-sensitive cells in the eye, is the main cause of vision loss among persons aged 20 to 74.
Yes, that is extremely frightening. It is, however, preventable if you take the necessary precautions to protect your eyes. Experts discuss the best ways for diabetics to keep their vision clear.
It's one of the most effective strategies to keep your eyes healthy. One of the issues with diabetes is that it's difficult to know whether you're developing eye trouble. Although doctors can treat diabetic eye illness and possibly prevent or even enhance vision loss, it's far better to avoid it altogether. Request an ophthalmology referral from your endocrinologist if you don't already have one.
Getting your eyes examined once won't help, whether you have diabetic eye disease or not–you should go at least once a year, and more if you have a prior eye condition. Because alterations can be detected early before they develop to more sight-threatening DR, annual dilated eye exams have been reported to reduce blindness by 95%.
Yes, this one is self-evident, but it bears repeating: Diabetes management decreases the incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Unfortunately, no single level of average glucose is completely protective against diabetic retinopathy, but any damage to the blood vessels of the eyes progresses at a slower rate. While regulating your blood sugar can help you avoid many of the health problems that come with diabetes, it can also help you avoid diabetes-related double vision and other forms of diabetic eye impairment.
One of the most effective strategies to maintain healthy glucose levels is to eat the proper foods. To keep your glucose levels in check, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. Work closely with your doctor and any other specialists to develop an eating plan that is ideal for you, including how often you should eat during the day to avoid blood-sugar falls or rises.
This doesn't mean you have to run a 10K every day, but regular exercise can help protect your eyes. According to the American Diabetes Association, exercise improves with insulin sensitivity. The more insulin-sensitive cells are, the better they are at absorbing glucose for energy. Walking, lifting weights, and doing downward dog all require more sugar. What's the end result? Your blood sugar levels have dropped, and you're feeling better in general.
Patients should think of their doctors as a team, including their primary care physician, endocrinologist, ophthalmologist, podiatrist, and registered dietician. They should demand and expect open communication and collaboration from all of us, not just with each other but also with the patient.
This is critical because the best method for people with diabetes to obtain optimal treatment is to keep blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol all under control at the same time.
While it's critical to stay on top of your medications in order to safeguard your eyes, it's equally critical to follow the doctor's instructions. In the long term, skipping doses due to side effects will not make you feel better.
Let your doctor know if you're experiencing any medication-related side effects. You might be able to switch to a different medicine or attempt a different dosage. Bring a list of everything you're bringing to each visit so that everyone on your team is up to speed.
Quitting smoking is crucial for everyone, but it's especially important for those with diabetes. Smoking not only makes controlling blood sugar more difficult, but it also reduces circulation in the retina in people with early-stage DR. Furthermore, smoking reduces ocular blood flow, which might damage the eye vessels and predispose you to DR in the first place.
The higher a person's diabetic health literacy is, the better they will comprehend how diabetes affects their eyes. If you're in denial about the seriousness of your diabetes or feel overwhelmed at the prospect of not being able to control your glucose levels, you may miss out on the early treatment you need to protect your vision (and health overall).