Vision Care with Diabetes

By John-Michael Cummings, OD

Diabetes is a complicated disease. It can cause many problems, including with your eyes and vision. It helps to know the warning signs and follow basic vision care tips.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises that people with diabetes watch for early signs of eye trouble. Please call your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms: 

• Blurry or cloudy vision
• Double vision (seeing two things when there is only one)
• Flashing lights or rings around lights
• Blank, dark or floating spots in your vision
• Pain, pressure or constant redness in your eyes
• A hard time seeing signs or straight lines
• Trouble seeing out of the corner of your eye
• Any sudden change in how you see

Diabetes can harm your eyes with no obvious symptoms until the problem is very bad, says the National Library of Medicine. So, if you have diabetes, follow your doctor’s directions to protect your vision. 

Regular eye exams are especially important to protecting your vision if you have diabetes. The eye exam lets your eye doctor catch problems early. Early detection leads to earlier treatment and better outcomes.

Depending on the results of your eye exam and your blood sugar levels, the eye doctor may ask you to come more (or less) than once a year. 

Find an EyeQuest clinician to take care of your eyes, especially if you live with diabetes. A division of Sun Life U.S., EyeQuest’s large network serves close to a million members nationwide.