Diabetes can affect the way your body functions on so many levels. Your vision is one of the most common functions that should be regularly regulated by a vision professional to ensure problems are corrected as early as possible. When it comes to affecting your eyesight, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause various conditions.

Blurry Vision

When the body experiences high blood sugar, it causes the eye lens to swell. This can alter your ability to see clearly. While your first instinct may be to get a new pair of eyeglasses, that’s not the cure. Rather, you should ask your doctor about getting medication, such as Jardiance, to lower your blood sugar. When your blood sugar returns to a normal range, your vision will go back to normal. This return to normal may take as much as three full months.

Cataracts

To understand cataracts, it helps to think of your internal eye lens like a camera. Your lens allow you to focus on what’s in front of you. When your lens get cloudy, it can greatly hamper your view. A cataract is that cloudy dirt or smudge that makes it difficult to see clearly.

While everyone is susceptible to experiencing cataracts, those with diabetes will experience cataracts earlier than others, and they will worsen much faster than others. It’s important to take your diabetes medication, like Jardiance, to slow down the effects of cataracts on the eyes.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition where an unwanted fluid is trapped in the front of your eye. When that fluid doesn’t drain, it can result in damaged blood vessels and nerves. Patients who have diabetes are more likely to experience neovascular glaucoma. This is where new blood vessels form on the iris and block normal fluid flow. This results in higher eye pressure that may need laser surgery. Taking insulin lispro can help to keep glaucoma under control.

Diabetic Retinopathy

When high blood sugar levels go untreated by medication like insulin lispro or Metformin it can cause diabetic retinopathy. This is where damage is caused to the blood vessels in the retina. This condition is most common in those suffering from type 1 diabetes for at least five years as an adult. If not treated quickly, this condition can result in permanent blindness.

Mild Conditions

While diabetes can cause many severe eye conditions, it can also cause some mild conditions. These include symptoms like eye pain, headaches, watery eyes, and even halos around the eyes. Taking medication like Metformin to keep your blood sugar levels under control can greatly reduce your risk of having these mild symptoms and many other serious eye-related conditions.