Why Diabetics Should Take Extra Care of Their Eyes

Taking care of your eyes should be a top priority, and that’s especially true if you have diabetes. Diabetes affects all parts of your body, and your eyes are no exception. 

That’s where diabetic eye care comes into the picture. Diabetic eye care refers to routine eye exams and treatments to help you manage diabetes-related eye issues.

Take a moment as Dr. Debbie Simon, Dr. Emily Davis, and Dr. Romaya Ahmed explain why diabetics should take extra care of their eyes and how the Eye Q Optique team in Chicago and Buffalo Grove, Illinois, can help.

How diabetes affects your eye health

Diabetes affects your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, and high blood sugar can damage various parts of your body, including your eyes. 

Here are some key ways diabetes can impact your eye health:

Increased risk of diabetic retinopathy

This is the most common diabetic eye disease. Elevated blood sugar levels can harm the blood vessels in your retina. Without treatment, diabetic retinopathy may lead to blindness.

Unfortunately, diabetic retinopathy doesn’t always cause symptoms at first, but it can be detected with a dilated eye exam. 

If you have diabetes, the National Eye Institute recommends a yearly dilated eye exam to help catch any potential issues, like retinopathy, as early as possible. Treatments include injections, surgery, or laser treatments. 

Increased risk of cataracts

Cataracts — a clouding of the lens in your eye — can happen to diabetics and non-diabetics alike, but diabetics are more likely to develop cataracts at a younger age. That’s because chronically high blood sugar levels can lead to structural changes in your eye that speed up cataract development.

Increased risk of glaucoma

Diabetics are twice as likely to develop glaucoma as compared to non-diabetics. This condition results from increased pressure in your eye, which can damage your optic nerve. 

Increased pressure isn’t something to take lightly. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and is referred to by researchers as the “black hole of irreversible blindness.”

Routine eye exams can help spot high pressure in your eyes, so you can get started with treatment before too much damage is done.

Why you need to be vigilant

Taking care of your eyes is crucial because diabetes-related eye conditions often develop without obvious symptoms so you might not notice symptoms until they become serious. 

Regular eye checkups can:

• Allow our team to detect problems as early as possible (before they snowball into bigger issues)

• Provide treatment quickly

• Give you peace of mind 

• Provide an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about your eye health

In addition to scheduling your dilated eye exam, you should be aware of warning signs that warrant a trip to our office — even if you’re not yet due for your routine exam. Potential red flags include eye floaters, vision loss, changes in your vision, difficulty driving at night, or any eye discomfort. 

Other ways to care for your eyes

In addition to routine diabetic eye exams, you can continue to care for your eyes by eating a nutrient-dense diet (especially one rich in zinc and beta-carotene), exercising regularly, managing your blood sugar, and taking all medications as directed whether you need them for diabetes or any eye conditions.

To book your next diabetic eye exam,  call the location of your choice, or simply click here to get started.