5 Tips to Care for Your Eyes When You Have Diabetes

Sugar has a bit of a bad reputation, and rightfully so, for being dangerous to our health. However we rely on it as a source of fuel for our bodies, so in the right amount, sugar is exactly what we need in the form of blood glucose (also called blood sugar). Diabetes is one of the many problems that come from too much blood sugar, and the complications from it without treatment affects every part of your body over time.

This includes eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy, which can eventually lead to blindness as it worsens. If you have diabetes but haven’t started seeing signs of eye problems, there are several things you can do to keep it that way. Let’s find out more by examining the effect of this chronic disease on your eyes, the stages it goes through over time, and what you can do to prevent it from getting to that point.

Residents of the Muncie, Indiana, area struggling with diabetes who are trying to avoid complications like retinopathy can get help from Dr. Jeffrey Rapkin and his staff at the Retina Consultants of Muncie.

The effect diabetes has on your eyes

Your circulatory system reaches every part of your body to deliver nutrients, oxygen, and other vital substances that keep us healthy. With diabetes, there is an overabundance of blood sugar that travels through the bloodstream and when it reaches your eyes, it weakens the blood vessels. With diabetic retinopathy, your retina’s blood vessels are damaged and leads to symptoms like blurred vision, color blindness, night blindness, eye floaters, and problems seeing objects that are far away.

Stages of diabetic retinopathy

Without treatment, diabetic retinopathy progresses in these stages:

1. Mild nonproliferative

This is the earliest phase and at this point there is swelling in your retinal blood vessels known as microaneurysms. Fluid also starts leaking at this point, which leads to swelling in your macula, the center of your retina.

2. Moderate nonproliferative

The increase of swelling in the blood vessels is causing problems with blood flow in your retina, making it difficult for it to get the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. More blood and fluids build up in the macula at this point.

3. Severe nonproliferative

More circulation is blocked in the retina, leading to severe lack of blood in this part of your eye. Your body now starts to grow new blood vessels to replace the nonfunctioning ones.

4. Proliferative

This is the most advanced stage where the new blood vessels have grown, but are too fragile to prevent damage from getting worse, leading to more leaking and eventually blindness.

Prevention and treatment tips

Here’s what you need to do to reduce your risk of diabetic retinopathy:

1. Regular eye exams 

This is important if you have diabetes, because during the early stages of this illness you won’t always notice symptoms. Exams are an effective way to monitor changes as they happen so we can get ahead of possible problems. You should also come in when you notice vision changes, as they can potentially mean the disease is getting worse.

2. Keep an eye on your glucose levels

Important for all diabetics, monitoring your glucose levels will help you know when level changes happen so you can get treatment or modify diet and exercise. You also need to stay on top of your insulin regimen, as it’s essential to keeping glucose levels under control.

3. Take care of your blood pressure

This is a common problem in diabetics and can lead to many cardiovascular problems, including blood pressure levels in your eyes.

4. Check cholesterol

Diabetics often have higher bad cholesterol levels (low density lipoprotein, or LDL), which increases your risk of vision problems.

5. Make lifestyle changes 

Managing diabetes means making lifestyle changes, such as eliminating foods high in carbohydrates, starting a regular exercise regimen, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking.

Monitoring diabetes is a comprehensive process. With our help, you can see a reduction in symptoms and lower your chances of dealing with related eye problems. Make an appointment with Dr. Rapkin and his team at Retina Consultants of Muncie today to prevent diabetic eye problems.