A research study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 1989 showed that people with diabetes who maintained good control of their blood sugar levels within 10% of normal, experienced no eye damage during the course of the study. Unfortunately, this same study reported when blood sugars ran consistently higher than 50% of normal, 37% of those diabetics experienced eye problems.

People with diabetes, type 1 or type 2, are prone to three types of eye disease:

• retinopathy
• cataracts, and
• glaucoma

In the short term, very high blood sugar levels can cause blurred vision which is temporary. When your blood sugars return to a lower level, the blurred vision leaves.

Blindness was once a common complication of diabetes but regular visits to eye specialists, (at least once a year), and good medical treatment have made it much less common. Now blindness affects less than 2% of people with diabetes.

Between 10 and 20% of older people with type 2 diabetes have some problems with their eyes; this is natural as eyes weaken with age. The majority of people with diabetes will have some changes to the blood vessels in their eyes after having diabetes for a period of roughly twenty five years.

Laser treatment by an ophthalmologist controls many eye problems but this must be accompanied by good blood sugar control to be really successful. But the best non-surgical approach is to keep your blood sugars down… not just in the morning but after your meals too.

Retinopathy is the most serious form of eye complication. In diabetics the retina can get damaged from several tiny hemorrhages, scarring or leaking of tiny blood vessels. The better control you have over your blood sugars, the less likely you are to develop retinopathy. Magnesium deficiency is often associated with diabetic retinopathy… when taking magnesium supplements you need to take Vitamin B6 as well. B6 helps to transport magnesium into your cells.

Cataracts is cloudiness over the lens of your eye, or the lens loses its clarity. You may experience blurred or double vision, or notice a halo effect around lights. Diabetics tend to get cataracts earlier than non-diabetics and they progress faster. Cataract surgery has advanced dramatically in recent years… cataract surgery removes the lenses and replaces them with artificial ones.

Certain foods can protect your eyes: green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale and mustard greens. These are rich sources of certain antioxidants. Food rich in Vitamin C and E may also help.

Glaucoma. A kind of glaucoma called neovascular is linked with diabetes. New blood vessels grow on the iris, the colored part of your eye, and blocks the normal flow of eye fluid, raising the pressure inside your eye. The increased pressure damages the optic nerve, which carries pictures from the retina to the brain. There may be no symptoms until the optic nerve is damaged, or there may be nausea, vomiting, headache, and seeing halos around points of light.

High blood sugar levels and high blood pressure both increase your risk of developing glaucoma. If glaucoma is caught early, treatment with prescription eye drops is effective

At least once a year have your eyes examined by an ophthalmologist… this should include pupil dilation and glaucoma testing.

• Managing Low Blood-Sugar
• Glucose Monitoring Kit - What You Need to Know
• What is a Normal Blood Sugar Level?
• Peripheral Neuropathy Can Be Helped With Supplements!
• Finding a Vegetarian Diabetic Diet
• Discussing Diabetes
• Reducing Your Risk of Developing Type II Diabetes
• Diabetes Foot Care

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