4 Things All Diabetics Should Do for Healthier Eyes
1. Watch your blood sugar level
Research has shown that diabetic patients who kept their blood sugar levels under tight control had reduced chances of getting retinopathy and half those who already had it were able to stop its progression through closely watching the blood sugar levels.
2. Keep your blood pressure under control
Doctors use the term “hypertension” to describe the general condition called high blood pressure. Continually high pressure within the eye can eventually damage the optic nerve and lead to glaucoma or permanent vision loss.
3. Avoid smoking
No matter what type of diabetes you have, smoking makes your diabetes harder to control. If you have diabetes and you smoke, you are more likely to have serious health problems. Smokers with diabetes have higher risks for serious complications, including retinopathy, an eye disease which can cause blindness.
4. See your eye care professional yearly
We recommend that you see your eye health professional at least once a year for the dilated eye exam (a test done by an eye care specialist in which the pupil of the eye is temporarily enlarged with eyedrops to allow the specialist to see the inside of the eye more easily). Only optometrists and ophthalmologists can detect the signs of retinopathy.
In the case of emergency, make sure to visit your doctor or the nearest hospital as soon as possible.
Here is an easy way to keep TRACK of these tips and more:
(source: www.nei.nih.gov/diabetes)
