Orlando, Kissimmee, Lake Nona, Eye Exams & Diabetes

Many people with diabetes don’t realize how it can affect their vision. The fact is, it’s the leading cause of blindness in adults is diabetes. Which is why regular eye exams by an optometrist is so important.

High blood sugar can lead to several eye related problems such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinopathy, and blurry vision. 

Blurry Vision

High blood sugar can cause the lens in your eye to swell, causing things to look blurry.  Getting your blood sugar back to normal will help, though it can take a while, up to three months for your vision to be back to normal. The target range, 70-130 milligrams per deciliter, or mg/DL, before meals, and less than 180 mg/DL 1 to 2 hours after a meal.  

Blurry vision can also be a symptom of a more serious problem.  Which is why you should always tell your eye doctor about any vision changes. 

Cataracts

While anyone can get cataracts, those with diabetes tend to get them more frequently and they progress quicker. Clouding vision, increasing glare, and not being able to focus like you should, are a few of the symptoms.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma can damage blood vessels, nerves, and causes changes in vision when fluid cannot drain properly causing pressure to build up. It is important to catch glaucoma early with annual eye exams, before major vision damage occurs. Symptoms include, blurred vision, watery eyes, eye pain, halos around lights, headaches, and vision loss. 

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is when the small blood vessels in the retina are damaged. The retina is responsible for taking in light and turning it into images that are sent to the brain. You can lower your chances of getting diabetic retinopathy by keeping your blood sugar under control. Symptoms include blurred vision, floaters, distorted vision, poor night vision, and dark areas of vision. 

The earlier you find a vision problem they easier they are to treat. Often times vision problems don’t have symptoms and are usually painless, it is important to receive proper vision care to increase your chances of healthy vision.