How Diabetes Affects Your Eyes

High blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels in your retina, the part of your eye responsible for processing light. Over time, this damage can lead to diabetic retinopathy, a condition where blood vessels leak, swell, or close off entirely. If untreated, diabetic retinopathy can progress to more serious problems such as diabetic macular edema (DME) or even permanent vision loss.

The good news is that you can dramatically reduce your risk of these complications through careful blood sugar and blood pressure management.

Why Controlling Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure Matters

Studies show that keeping your blood sugar within target range slows the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Likewise, controlling blood pressure reduces the risk of blood vessel damage in the retina. If either your blood sugar or blood pressure runs too high for too long, your risk of vision problems goes up.

Key steps include:

• Monitoring your blood sugar daily
• Following your doctor’s recommendations for diet and medication
• Keeping A1C levels within your target range
• Managing blood pressure with lifestyle changes or medication
• Attending regular eye exams to catch early signs of retinopathy

Small Changes, Big Benefits

Even modest improvements in blood sugar control can have a big impact. For example, lowering your A1C by just one percentage point can reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy progression by up to 40%. Similarly, lowering high blood pressure to healthy levels reduces the risk of vision-threatening complications.

Partner With Experts to Protect Your Vision

At North Suburban Eye, our skilled team of eye doctors works closely with patients who have diabetes. Through comprehensive exams and personalized treatment plans, we help you stay ahead of diabetic eye disease. If you have diabetes, regular eye care is one of the most effective ways to protect your vision in the long term. To schedule your diabetic eye exam, call us in Wakefield at 781-245-5200. We have additional locations in Winchester and Waltham, MA.

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What conditions are often linked to patients with diabetes?

There are several types of conditions of the eye that can be impacted by patients who have mismanaged diabetes. These include some of the following:

• Diabetic retinopathy – one of the most commonly seen eye conditions seen in patients with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. This is the leading cause of blindness in adults, especially those with diabetes, as it can cause damage to the eye’s retina. The retina is responsible for transferring images to the brain. When this condition is present, it can cause floaters, black spots in the field of vision, and eventually loss of centralized vision if not diagnosed and addressed in the earliest stages.
• Glaucoma – patients with diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma than someone who does not have diabetes, as reported by The Diabetes Council. The relationship between the two is still misunderstood, but patients should be evaluated regularly for this condition which can cause tunnel vision and with time, significant vision loss.
• Cataracts – patients with diabetes are also 60% more likely to develop cataracts than patients without diabetes. This condition causes clouding of the eye lens that cannot be reversed. The only treatment available for cataracts is surgery, and this is only discussed if it is significantly impacting one’s quality of life and the ability to perform daily tasks such as driving or reading.

Are you concerned about your vision due you diabetes?

Talk with one of our ophthalmologists at North Suburban Eye Associates, P.C. today to learn more about ways to prevent certain eye conditions from developing due to mismanaged diabetes. Call (781) 245-5200 to schedule an appointment at any one of the three locations throughout the communities of Winchester, Waltham, or Wakefield, MA.

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