How Diabetes Affects Your Eyes and Vision

Diabetes can cause a number of other medical issues to develop and problems with eyes and vision are amongst the most common. Research suggests that almost everyone with Type 1 diabetes and more than 50% of people with Type 2 diabetes will experience retinopathy to some degree within 20 years of being diagnosed. However, regular eye screenings, careful diabetes management and access to the right treatments quickly can all make a huge difference when it comes to maintaining eye health and preserving vision.

Here we take a look at how diabetes can affect the eyes and vision, potential signs and symptoms to look out for, and the steps that can be taken to prevent eye problems from worsening.

How Does Diabetes Affect Your Eyes and Vision?

Diabetes impacts the body’s ability to produce or respond to insulin, which is the hormone that serves cells with glucose. Damage to the blood vessels and nerves can occur when there’s too much glucose in the bloodstream, which can affect the eyes. However, this isn’t the only way that eyes and vision can be affected.

When blood sugar levels change rapidly, the eye lens can swell and change shape, leading to blurry vision. This is often temporary and your vision will return to normal when your blood sugar reaches a stable level. It’s really important to ensure that your blood sugar levels are stable and controlled before going for an eye test, as this will make sure you receive an accurate prescription.

Many people with diabetes will go on to develop diabetic eye disease, which is a term that refers to several eye conditions that can develop as a direct result of diabetes.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of sight loss in people with diabetes, however early diagnosis and treatment can significantly reduce this risk. It develops when changes to the blood vessels in the retina cause them to leak or when new abnormal blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy often doesn’t cause any symptoms in the early stages, so as it’s detectable during diabetic eye screenings, it’s really important to attend these appointments.

If the condition progresses, some of the most common symptoms include worsening eyesight, blurred vision, floaters, and finding it more difficult to see in low light.

Glaucoma

There are several different types of glaucoma and neovascula glaucoma can develop as a result of diabetes. It happens when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina, which prompts the development of new, abnormal vessels on the iris. This can cause pressure levels in the eye to increase.

Redness and mild irritation are common initial symptoms, however as the condition progresses, it can cause severe pain, nausea, headaches, blurred vision, and very high levels of intraocular pressure.

Macular Oedema

The macula is the very centre of the eye’s retina and is responsible for providing straight, sharp vision. Leaking blood vessels can cause swelling in this area, which can lead to distorted or blurry vision. Often, people with this condition find that fine visual tasks are most affected, including reading.

Cataracts

Cataracts affect many people, however they can form sooner and progress quickly if you’ve got diabetes. Early symptoms include misty, blurry or cloudy vision, needing brighter lights when reading, the development of halos around lights, and colour fading.

How To Prevent Diabetic Eye Disease

As many of the eye problems caused by diabetes are as a result of high blood sugar levels, there are steps that can be taken to reduce your risk or even prevent serious conditions from developing.

Keep Your Blood Sugar In Check

Controlling your blood sugar has an array of health benefits and can help you to avoid changes in the eye that may lead to the development of diabetic eye diseases.

Attend Regular Eye Screenings

Many eye problems can be caught early at eye screenings, so it’s really important to attend these appointments.

Protect Your Eyes From The Sun

Exposure to UV rays from the sun can cause the progression of cataracts to increase, so shielding your eyes with high-quality sunglasses can be beneficial.

Lower Cholesterol Levels and Blood Pressure

High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels can cause diabetic eye disease to worsen, so seeking support from your doctor on reducing these levels can help to support your eye health over the long term.

FAQs

How does diabetes affect your eyes and vision and do problems develop quickly?

Diabetes can impact eye health and vision in a number of ways, as the condition can damage blood vessels and nerves in the eye. Diabetic retinopathy affects many people with diabetes, and you’re more at risk of developing other eye conditions such as cataracts, macular oedema, and glaucoma.

In the short term, diabetes can cause eye changes that develop quickly but are temporary. This is because rapid blood sugar changes can cause temporary changes to the shape of the eye’s lens.

How does diabetes affect your eyes and vision over the long term?

If your blood sugar is consistently high over a long period of time, it’s likely to cause damage to the blood vessels in the eye’s retina. This can lead to the development of serious eye conditions, including diabetic retinopathy, which often doesn’t have any symptoms in the early stages but can lead to sight loss if left untreated.