Introduction
Diabetes can harm your eyes. It can cause problems like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts. These problems can make you lose your vision. We will discuss the effect of diabetes on eye health.
How Diabetes Hurts Your Eyes
High blood sugar can damage your eyes. It harms the blood vessels in your eyes. This can cause diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts. These problems can make your vision blurry. If you don’t treat them, they can make you blind. You can protect your eyes by keeping your blood sugar low.
What is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy happens when high blood sugar damages the small blood vessels in your eyes. These vessels can leak or swell. This makes your vision blurry. If you don’t treat it, you could lose your vision. But regular eye exams can catch it early.
Glaucoma and Diabetes
People with diabetes are more likely to get glaucoma. This happens when there’s too much pressure in the eye. It harms the optic nerve and can lead to vision loss. Regular eye exams can help catch glaucoma early.
Cataracts and Diabetes
People with diabetes often get cataracts. This makes the lens in your eye cloudy, which makes it hard to see. Surgery can fix cataracts, but keeping your blood sugar low helps prevent them.
How to Protect Your Eyes if You Have Diabetes
1. Control Your Blood Sugar
Keeping your blood sugar low helps protect your eyes. Eat well, exercise, and take your medication as your doctor tells you.
2. Get Regular Eye Exams
People with diabetes need to get eye exams at least once a year. These exams can catch eye problems early.
3. Watch Your Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
High blood pressure and cholesterol can make eye problems worse. Keep them low to protect your eyes.
4. Quit Smoking
Smoking can hurt your eyes. Quitting smoking will help protect your vision.
When to See an Eye Doctor
If you notice blurry vision, floaters, or sudden changes in vision, see an eye doctor right away. Treating the problem early can save your vision.
Diabetes can cause serious eye problems like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts. Keeping your blood sugar low, getting regular eye exams, and watching your health can protect your eyes. If you have diabetes, take good care of your eyes.
