Diabetes and Your Eyes - Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Diabetes and
Your Eyes
A person with diabetes is at risk for
developing diabetic eye disease, the
leading cause of blindness in young and
middle-aged adults today.
Diabetic eye disease may include diabetic
retinopathy (damage to the blood vessels
in the retina), cataracts (clouding of the
eye’s lens), or glaucoma (increase in
fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to
optic nerve damage and loss of vision).
There is a lot you can do to take charge
and prevent such problems.
Diabetic eye disease may be present
even if your vision is normal and you
have no pain.
If you have diabetes, we recommend
that you get a dilated eye exam with your
ophthalmologist at least once a year.
High blood glucose can damage your
eyes as time goes by. The longer you
have diabetes, the greater your risk of
developing diabetic eye disease. More
frequent eye examinations may be
necessary after eye disease is diagnosed.
Prevention is Everything
Know Your ABCs:
A Hemoglobin A1C test for
average Blood Glucose
This is a blood test that your medical
doctor checks regularly to measure
the overall control of your diabetes.
The A1C is the most important test
to prevent diabetes damage to the
eye, heart and kidneys. Ask what
your number is at your next appointment.
Keep your hemoglobin A1C
under 7.
B Blood pressure
Controlling blood pressure reduces
your risk of diabetic eye disease as
high blood pressure can damage
your eyes. Make sure your blood
pressure is under 130/80.
C Cholesterol
Keep your total cholesterol number
below 200.