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5 Sight-Saving Tips for Patients with Diabetes
What can diabetic patients do to prevent vision loss?
Diabetes is a complicated condition, and its impact on the eyes — known as diabetic eye disease — is the leading cause of blindness in middle-aged adults.
Diabetes And The Eyes
Diabetes occurs when there is too much sugar in the blood, leading to injury of the small blood vessels throughout the body. Patients with diabetes can experience dysfunction in the kidneys, a loss of sensation in the hands and feet and other problems related to their condition.
Diabetes can threaten a patient’s sight in a few ways:
- blood vessels become leaky, leading to swelling of the retina (diabetic macular edema).
- an interruption of blood supply to the retina (ischemia), sometimes leading to the formation of new abnormal blood vessels.
- a progressive degeneration of the retina (diabetic retinopathy).
Dr. Collins offered the following sight-saving tips for patients diagnosed with diabetes:
1) Get Dilated Eye Exams As Often As Your Doctor Recommends
In general, patients with diabetes should be seen by an ophthalmologist at least once a year, though Dr. Collins says there are certain factors that may warrant more frequent visits. “Patients who are pregnant or have more advanced features of diabetic eye disease could be asked to come in as often as every month,” he said.
2. Control your blood sugar
When your blood sugar is too high, it can affect the shape of your eye’s lens, causing blurry vision, which goes back to normal after your blood sugar stabilizes. High blood sugar can also damage the blood vessels in your eyes. Maintaining good control of your blood sugar helps prevent these problems.
3. Maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels
High blood pressure and high cholesterol can put you at greater risk for eye disease and vision loss. Keeping both under control will not only help your eyes but your overall health.
4. Exercise
Exercise is good for your eyes. It’s also good for your diabetes. Regular exercise can help your eyes stay as healthy as possible while helping to control your diabetes.
If you have diabetes, you can preserve good vision. Make sure you actively manage your disease with your ophthalmologist so that you reduce your risk of eye disease.
Don’t Smoke
Dr. Collins explains that, while there isn’t conclusive evidence that smoking is a risk factor for diabetic eye disease, he always tells his patients to avoid smoking. Smoking increases your risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) and associated cardiovascular risk factors. Smoking has also been associated with other diabetic complications, such as nephropathy. Bottom line: Dr. Collins recommends that patients with diabetes stop smoking.
People with diabetes are living with a chronic, life-long condition that can be challenging to manage for both patients and physicians alike. These steps can help diabetic patients protect their vision, especially those diagnosed early in life.
“If you’ve had diabetes for a very long time, these things are all the more important to keep in mind,” Dr. Collins said “The duration of disease increases your likelihood of progression of diabetic eye disease.”