High Blood Sugar Causes Permanent Eye Damage

Sugar and Age-Related Muscular Degeneration

Studies have found that eating food that is high in sugar and starch can make people more susceptible to age-related muscular degeneration. It typically starts later in life and can affect the retina, leading to vision loss. Eating foods high in antioxidants can reduce the likeliness of developing age-related muscular degeneration.

Sugar and cataracts

High blood sugar can result in the swelling of the eyes. This can lead to changes to your eyes. One such change is the development of cataracts – a condition that results in blurry and obstructed vision due to the clouding of your lenses. It is also one of the common eye issues in children. Read your children’s body language and get your child’s eye tested with our optometrist if your child has any symptoms.

Sugar and Glaucoma

High blood sugar can lead to issues such as high glycemia, hypertension and high blood pressure. These can have a run-off effect that causes harm to your eyes. For example, it can lead to a glaucoma; a group of eye conditions that cause blindness. This results from the blood vessels in your eyes narrowing which leads to a build-up of fluid that cannot drain properly. The build up leads to excessive pressure inside the eye – a glaucoma. Over 300,000 people in Australia live with a glaucoma. It’s known as the ‘silent thief of the night’. If left untreated it can lead to peripheral vision loss and blindness.

Diabetes and Eye Health

Diabetes increases the risk and likelihood of developing the issues mentioned above. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your body cannot produce enough insulin to break down glucose – a sugar – in your body. If you have diabetes, it is very likely that you will develop changes to your eyes. Some individuals may find it challenging to focus the eye, and others will have their vision issues vary day today. These issues, however, are often eased as glucose levels stabilise. As such, it is crucial to have regular eye checks if you are living with diabetes. Nearly half of all Australian’s living with diabetes aren’t having regular diabetes eye checks, causing many to lose part of their sight as a result.

Moreover, when your blood sugar is constantly high, it can lead to sight-threatening conditions. One such disease is diabetic retinopathy, which occurs when the blood vessels in the back of your eye are damaged, leading to loss of vision. It can happen regardless of the type of diabetes or age. Symptoms of the disease include blurred, distorted or patchy vision that cannot be correct with prescription glasses, problems with balance, reading and recognising people, being overly sensitive to glare and difficulty seeing at night. The early stages of diabetic retinopathy may have no symptoms, and diagnosis may be prolonged. As a result, it is imperative that you get your eyes every two years if you are diabetic.

Looking after your eyes

To help prevent vision loss, it is crucial you do the following:

• Have your eyes checked regularly – at least once every two years.
• Control your blood glucose levels.
• Maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
• Seek treatment as soon as you notice changes in your vision.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle – add a list of good foods for healthy eyes to your diet plan and exercise regimen.

At Optical Insight, we believe investing in healthy eyes will pay off for a lifetime. Detecting vision problems early on is far better than when serious complications arise. Our comprehensive care delivers a 5-star experience for every vision test, whether you need a frequent eye health test, dry eye test, or digital retinal imaging exams. Schedule your appointment today to ensure your eyes are as healthy as possible!