Body organs and body parts function optimally at normal blood sugar levels. In diabetic patients, the blood sugar level is above normal levels. There are extensive studies on raised blood sugar levels on body organs. The effect of high blood sugar levels on eye parts presents enough evidence of damage to eye parts. The eye can be the first organ to be affected by uncontrolled high blood sugar levels.
The most common ocular complication related to high sugar levels in the blood is diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy can arise due to several reasons, and high blood sugar level has been found in many cases to be the leading cause.
What Are The Relation Between Diabetes And Your Eyes?
Other ocular conditions caused due to high blood sugar levels can be cornea dysfunction, cataract, glaucoma, neuropathy, ischemic optic neuropathy, and diabetic macular edema.
If these diseases progress beyond a stage, then in most cases, the treatment adopted is tissue reengineering by eye surgeons.
However, ocular surgeries are highly complicated and should be adopted as the last resort. The success rate of ocular surgeries is not definite and depends on the complication and stage of the disease.
High blood sugar and eye damage
High blood sugar has detrimental effects on all parts of the body. In the eye, increased blood sugar levels above normal can cause inflammation and loss of vaso-protective agents. It is mainly due to the inflammatory action of high sugar levels in the blood that ocular surface health starts getting affected adversely.
The manner in which the eye can get affected can differ based on the differing sturdiness of eye parts. However, in most cases, above normal levels of sugar in blood starts affecting the cornea and retina first.
Eye care for diabetics
It has been established that patients with diabetes condition need to exercise more precaution. An eye doctor should be consulted if problems start arising with the eye. Eye problems can start showing up as dryness of the eye, itchiness, redness, pricking sensation, and loss of vision power.
Ignorance of early symptoms can cause the condition to aggravate and form into a major eye illness. Those with weak eyes and diagnosed with diabetes disease need to be more concerned about their eye health. Weak eye conditions can further worsen once diabetes sets in.
Suggested eye care remedies, exercises, and medications should be administered regularly as negligence of eye care can lead to major ocular complications. It is always recommended that people with eye problems diagnosed with diabetes
- Wear spectacles of correct power if vision is weak
- Follow eye exercise guidelines to strengthen eye muscles
- Practice eye hygiene to control germs in the eye and diseases
- Keep blood pressure and blood sugar levels under control
- Protect eye from UV rays and blue rays of electronic devices
Foods for eye health
The concentration levels of omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin A in the human body usually are higher in the eye than in other body parts. This is because the body uses the extra amount of omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin A to build up eye tissues and parts.
Apart from these nutrients, the body also uses vitamins E and C, lutein, and zinc to maintain eye organ health. A balanced diet is always recommended for the overall health of the body. However, people with weak vision or other eye problems benefit from foods that are rich in the above nutrients. Foods rich in nutrients that benefit the eye are
- Marine foods and fish, fish fat
- Carrots
- Green leafy vegetables like spinach
- Eggs, nuts, and beans
- Citrus fruits like oranges
Regular eye check for diabetics
Though it is important to be cautious of ocular symptoms in diabetes conditions, sometimes some illnesses may creep in silently. Regular eye checks up for diabetics once or twice a year is recommended to rule out ocular illness condition.
The eye check-up should be conducted by a qualified ophthalmologist or eye doctor who will perform a detailed eye check under dilated conditions.
It is not only necessary to check for vision but also the health of the eye surface and internal tissues and parts. A comprehensive eye examination conducted with the latest machinery gives a clear, detailed picture of the health of eye parts.