If you have diabetes or a loved one who does, you undoubtedly already understand how crucial it is to maintain blood sugar levels within the advised range. With correct treatment of blood sugar, HbA1c, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure, serious, long-term health concerns including eyesight loss, heart disease, and kidney disease can be prevented or postponed.

Blindness or vision impairment may be the outcome of diabetes's substantial detrimental effects on the eyes. This is because high blood sugar levels can kill the capillaries in the most sensitive tissues of the eye, which convey messages to the brain and allow for clear vision. This retinal damage caused by high blood pressure may lead to a permanent loss of eyesight. There is however hope. By keeping an eye on blood sugar levels and managing them as prescribed by a doctor, one can prevent serious eye damage.



Five steps to protect vision during diabetes while lowering blood sugar

The flimsy blood arteries that supply the most delicate parts of the eyes are frequently the first to suffer harm when blood sugar levels rise. The retina is especially harmed by high blood sugar. The retina is a thin layer of tissue that covers about 65% of the back of the eye. There are a lot of light-sensitive cells, which enable the eyes to send visual information to the brain via the optic nerve.
When blood sugar levels increase, damage is done to the blood vessels that supply the retina. This might lead to either temporary or long-term vision blurring. Three different eye problems, including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts, are fairly frequent in patients with diabetes. Such difficulties can be reduced via prompt notice and action. Monitoring blood sugar levels can help one's chance of developing these illnesses that take one's sight.

Quit smoking.

Smoking harms every physiological system, but diabetics are especially at risk. Smoking damages the body's veins, arteries, and capillaries, worsening any eye damage already caused by diabetes. Don't give up if you've attempted to stop smoking before or if this is your first attempt. Discuss your alternatives with your doctor.

It Moving

The same way that smoking is good for your health, exercise is also, so get moving! Take a few laps around the neighborhood after lunch. Park near the far end of the parking lot by taking a few more feet. Since regular exercise reduces blood sugar levels, it can minimize your chance of getting diabetic eye illness. Put this appointment with yourself, which will enhance your life, on your calendar each week to serve as a reminder to schedule time for it. Consult your doctor before starting any fitness program to find out the workouts they recommend.

Make healthy eating a priority.

Since we were children, we have all been told that you are what you eat. Healthy eyes result from healthy food. To protect diabetic eyes, eat a well-balanced diet that includes foods that provide your body the nutrition it needs. Among these are the vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, lutein, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and zeaxanthin. You may achieve this aim by eating a diet rich in leafy greens, fatty fish like salmon, tuna, or mackerel, nuts like walnuts and almonds, beans, lentils, and mushrooms. In order to control blood sugar levels, it's crucial to maintain a low glycemic diet.

annually doing dilated eye exams

The best advice is saved for last: to ensure that your efforts to regulate blood sugar are helping to maintain the health of your eyesight, schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam with your ophthalmologist once a year, or more frequently if indicated. At this appointment, screenings for cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy could be done. Your eyes will dilate, causing the pupils to expand, allowing your ophthalmologist to closely examine your retina, macula, and optic nerve. By examining these delicate tissues, your doctor can spot diabetic retinopathy in its early stages long before you exhibit any symptoms.