Eyesight problems are quite common and we see hundreds of people wearing visual aids daily. But if you are suffering from health conditions like diabetes, your eyes need more care.
Diabetes and eye care
Diabetes can result in several complications and your eye is the most affected organ. Following this, diabetic sufferers are prone to eye diseases including diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma etc. Eye damage among diabetics is more dangerous because diabetes is one of the leading causes of vision loss.
I remember once, my father who is diabetic sufferer was continuously complaining about a thread in his eye. We took him to a renowned Eye Specialist in Karachi, where he was diagnosed with retinal vein occlusion. So, taking care of your eyes with diabetes is a hundred times more important.
How to take care of your eyes with diabetes?
Although it is not possible to completely prevent diabetes-induced organ damage, however, it can be prevented to a greater magnitude. Here are some of the tips to take care of your eyes with diabetes.
1. Keep an Eye on your Eye
Monitoring your eyes conditions can help you to minimize the risk of diabetes-induced eyesight problems. Routine checkups can help you to figure out the problems at early stages before further complications. So, as a diabetic, you should frequently visit your eye care specialist and get your eye checked.
2. Control your Sugar Levels
One of the most common reasons behind eyesight complications in diabetes is the fluctuating blood sugar levels. This fluctuation can result in changing the shape of your eye’s lens leading to blurred vision. Although your lens can retain its original shape after your blood sugar level goes normal. However, these prolonged fluctuations can cause damage in the long run.
3. Blood Pressure and Cholesterol can Cause the Problem
Though high blood pressure and cholesterol level are damaging for our heart they can also affect your vision. Increased blood pressure and cholesterol can increase your risk of developing vision problems with diabetes. Uncontrolled blood pressure can harm the blood vessels supplying blood to your eye and can result in vision complications.
4. UV Rays can be your Enemy
Sun rays can be damaging for your eyes so you need to protect your eyes by wearing shades. If you have to stay outdoors for longer times protect your eyes because UVA rays are cataract forming and result in macular degeneration.
5. Be more physically Active
Physical activity is an important element of disease management particularly, diseases like diabetes. Staying physically active can help you in controlling your glucose level. Regulated blood sugar can help you in preventing severe eyesight complications.
Apart from this, physical activity offers several other benefits including weight reduction. My father was getting treated for retinal occlusion at Advanced Eye Clinic in Karachi. His physician asked him to include physical activity that helped him with diabetes management ultimately resolving the vision problem.
6. Smoke Less
Smoking burns your life with it. It affects nearly all aspects of our health including our lungs, heart health etc. Apart from this, smoking can be harmful to your eyes too. Let me explain how! Smoking can affect small blood vessels related to your health. Apart from this, smoking can complicate diabetes symptoms.
7. Adequate Diet Plan
Having a nutritious diet can also help to provide essential nutrients that our eyes need. Some of the nutrients human eye need include vitamin (e, a, E), beta carotene, copper and zinc etc. You can include various food sources in your diet including carrots, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and dairy etc. You can get these sources from
Vitamin A – Carrots, Kale, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes
Vitamin C – Bell Peppers, Lemon, Oranges, Berries, Kiwi
Vitamin E – Avocado, Oats, Brown Rice, Sweet Potatoes
Omega-3 Fatty Acid – Fish, Nuts, Seeds
Zinc – Beans, Legumes, Fish, Chicken
Lutein and Zeaxanthin – Spinach, Egg, Avocadoes, Peas etc.
Takeaway Note
Your eye health is crucial for your overall well-being. However, if you are a diabetes sufferer, your eye health becomes even more crucial due to diabetes-related complications. So, you can focus on your lifestyle habits for improved visionary health. Apart from this, regular monitoring of your eyes is also an important aspect of your eye health.
