Diabetes is a disease that can affect many parts of your body. While most people know about the damage it can do to your legs and feet, one area that many don’t know about is your eyes. Your eye is a delicate organ, and can therefore easily be affected by some nasty side effects if you don’t manage your diabetes properly. If you want to protect your sight, then it’s essential that you know what you are up against. In this article, you read How to Avoid Unexpected Side Effects of Diabetes On Your Eyes. This article is written by Kevin Cook Austin.
The retina of your eye is supplied with blood by a very intricate system of blood vessels. Since diabetes affects your blood system, it can cause a number of different disorders which can have an impact upon your sight, the most serious of these being total blindness. This condition, known as diabetic retinopathy, is far from common, so isn’t something most people should worry about. However, a much more common side effect of diabetes is blurred vision, caused by the lens of your eye being affected by changes in blood sugar levels. Most people find that this comes and goes throughout the day, but it can be very irritating to put up with. Luckily, it’s possible to do something about it.
The best way that you can protect yourself from diabetes-related sight loss is to carefully follow the advice of your doctor and to manage the disorder properly. By ensuring that you control your blood sugar levels effectively, you’ll be making sure that you aren’t liable to any of the side effects which diabetes can bring. It’s also important to keep your blood pressure in check- since it’s your blood which causes these eye conditions, you should do all you can to make sure you are counteracting the effects diabetes has on your circulatory system.
One change that’s easy to make, and will help with your condition in general, is to keep fit and healthy. By exercising more, and choosing a healthier diet, your body will be in the best possible state to cope with the pressures which diabetes places upon it. Giving up smoking will help to lower your blood pressure, and you’ll soon notice that your symptoms are starting to get better once this happens. The more you take care of your body, the better you’ll feel, and the less chance you will have of developing diabetes-related eye conditions in the first place. By making these changes, you’ll be doing yourself a real favor.
If you are worried about your sight, then make sure you get a regular retinal screening from your doctor. The earlier a condition is caught, the easier it is to control, whereas if you do nothing about it, you could lose your sight completely. Chances are, you’ll only have to make small changes to improve your condition, letting you get on with your life without any major effects on your health. Once again, the majority of people don’t develop a serious condition, so there’s no need to be afraid of getting screened. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially with a disease like diabetes.
Author: Kevin Cook Austin