4 Ways to Protect Your Eyes with Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you already know that your health requires a lot more attention. You’re at greater risk of heart disease, stroke, and foot problems, and you may face vision problems as well.

But the good news is that you can do a lot to protect yourself, which includes seeking diabetic eye care. Here, our providers at Eye Q Optique offer four of the top ways to take care of your eyes. Let’s first look at how diabetes can affect your eye health.

How diabetes changes your eyes

When you have diabetes, it means your blood sugar is too high. One of the results of having high blood sugar, especially for long periods of time, is that it can increase the pressure in your eyes.

This can lead to diseases of the eye, including:

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Glaucoma

• Cataracts

• Diabetic macular edema

These diseases are more common as you get older, but their frequency may be greater and they may develop sooner if you have diabetes.

One of the biggest risks that comes with diabetes is the possibility of losing your vision entirely. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults from ages 20-74.

Four ways to protect your eyes

If you’re diabetic, you can do a great deal to protect your eyes. Here’s what we recommend:

1. Get a diabetic eye exam

A diabetic eye exam is more than just a regular eye exam. You get additional tests, such as a visual acuity check. This check is needed, especially if your prescription has recently changed or if you’re not seeing as clearly as you once did. 

If you haven’t recently had a comprehensive eye exam, we may also dilate your eyes and thoroughly examine them for retinal damage.

2. Wear sunglasses

You should wear sunglasses, even on cloudy days. The sun’s UV rays still poke through and affect your vision for the worse. This is especially damaging to your eyes when you’re diabetic because your vision is already more sensitive than normal.

3. Take breaks

It’s a good idea to change what your eyes are focusing on — about every 20 minutes or so. This is especially true if you work on computers. 

Get up and take a walk around. It’s a great way to include a bit of physical activity. At least make sure to focus on something that’s about 20 feet away.

4. Make appointments as soon as your vision changes

If you have any changes to your vision, it’s essential to see one of our doctors. Some of the changes you should be on alert for include:

• Blurry vision

• Not seeing as sharply as before

• Headaches

• Eye pain

• Halos around objects

• Watery eyes

Some of these symptoms are caused by other factors unrelated to your diabetes, but you should always have your eyes examined by one of our eye care professionals.

If you’re diabetic and you haven’t had a comprehensive eye exam yet — or if you’re having any symptoms of concern — give us a call at the office nearest you in Chicago or Buffalo Grove, Illinois, or request an appointment online today.