How can you tell if diabetes is affecting your eyes?
The secondary conditions that come with diabetes may feel overwhelming at times. Not only do you have to worry about blood sugar, but you also have to watch for kidney damage, foot damage, hearing impairment, nerve issues, and more. How can you tell if diabetes is affecting your eyes? Check out these warning signs and solutions.
How diabetes impacts vision
Diabetes can cause fluctuation in vision and prescription, especially if it is uncontrolled. These changes are typically due to diabetic retinopathy. In the early stages, pockets of fluid form, distorting your vision and creating pressure around the eye. In the advanced stages, new blood vessels leak blood into the eye, which can result in blindness if left untreated.
Why does this happen? Because unregulated blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels. The vessels swell and weaken until they eventually lose control. The sooner you can regulate your diabetes, the easier it will be to protect your eyes.
Signs of diabetic vision loss
If you have diabetes and your vision worsens, there’s a decent chance the two conditions are linked. Nevertheless, you may not notice the signs of diabetic retinopathy right away. Here are some symptoms to keep in mind:
- Blurry vision
- Dark spots or shapes that stay in your line of sight, sometimes known as floaters
- Progressive vision impairment
- Trouble seeing colors
- Empty areas in your vision
Contact your eye doctor if you experience optical problems. Early intervention is crucial for long-term eye care.
What’s the root cause: diabetes or something else?
Vision problems are common among people with diabetes, but diabetes isn’t the only possible culprit. We recommend getting a comprehensive eye exam to determine your struggles’ root cause. From there, we can create a personalized care plan to minimize or rectify your vision loss.
Oklahoma City Vision offers optical solutions for diabetic patients, including diabetic retinopathy treatment. Reach out today to schedule an appointment.