What You Should Know About Diabetes and Your Vision
Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood glucose, commonly called blood sugar. Glucose is vital to your health, because it’s an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues, and it’s also your brain’s main source for fuel. If you have diabetes, no matter what type, it means you have too much glucose in your blood, which can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.
Long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually. The longer you have diabetes, and the less controlled your blood sugar, the higher the risk of complications. If left untreated, diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina, potentially leading to blindness. This is called diabetic retinopathy, and can also increase the risk of other serious vision problems, such as cataracts and glaucoma.
Careful management of your diabetes is the best way to prevent vision loss. If you have diabetes, see your eye doctor for a yearly dilated eye exam, even if your vision seems fine, because it’s important to detect diabetic retinopathy in the early stages. Depending on what type of diabetes you have, blood sugar monitoring, insulin, and oral medications may play a role in your treatment. But no matter what type of diabetes you have, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and monitoring your blood sugar levels, are key to managing your diabetes.
To learn more, please call us at 320-587-6308. Regional Eye Center is located at 1455 Montreal Street, SE in Hutchinson, MN. Our business hours are:
Mon. & Thurs. 8:00am – 7:30pm
Tues. & Wed. 8:00am – 5:30pm
Fri. 8:00am – 1:00pm
Sat. Closed
