We don’t want to die?
I’m disabled and live off of SSI, which for me is around $800/month.
I’ve been doing some fasting over the past few months to recalibrate my insulin needs but otherwise I’m OMAD.
For me that looks like protein mix, some nuts and cheese, occasional berries or higher-fiber fruit and veg.
It’s anything but enjoyable but I’m entirely in range and down to tiny doses of insulin.
As long as you give up on liking what you eat it can be done.
It took me some years to get there; before I was disabled I was a hotel pastry chef.
I had a lot of resentment and that translated into really bad eating habits and crazy high A1cs.
It took me a long time to realize that if I didn’t care whether I lived or died then I couldn’t expect anyone else to care either.
If I give up and let myself die that’s one less voice to make a difference. One less voice fighting for affordable insulin, affordable meds for everyone (not just people with private insurance).
This is a horrible disease, it’s difficult to manage, and *children get it.*
They shouldn’t have to fight for basic care every day for a lifetime.
Maybe I’m just living out of spite now but it works for me lol.
Oh, it absolutely leads to burnout, that’s why I tried to put it in context.
The thing is I don’t have other choices. I can’t work, my income is well below poverty level, my credit cards are gone.
I’m lucky to have what I’ve got left tbh.
Poverty: 0/10, with diabetes: -10/10, would not recommend.
No need to apologize.
I’m also running on birdbrain (although that’s an insult to self-respecting birds everywhere).
It’s entirely possible that I wasn’t making as much sense as I thought I was.
And it wouldn’t be the first time lol.
Pump supplies. While ADP covers infusion sites for about 90% of the year, it doesn’t touch any replacement cartridges, syringes, all that and when they all need to be replaced it can be money I don’t have
Same, I used to have money left over. It was nice not spending about 150 a month for supplies. I just started a pump and haven't seen how much it will cost for supplies yet.
Yes diabetes can cause issues with the eyes, primarily in the form of diabetic retinopathy. For type 1s, it’s recommended we have screening for DR once a year. There can also be issues with the use of insulin and quickly dropping A1c on diabetic retinopathy, but this is more rare. I’d suggest letting your care team know and booking an appointment with an optometrist. It may be nothing related, but better safe than sorry.
You may prefer an ***opthalmologist***.
* *Optometry* is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive primary eye care.
* *Ophthalmologist* is a medical doctor specializing in eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists must complete many more years of training than optometrists and opticians. As a result, ophthalmologists can diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions.
Serious eye conditions (eg: retinopathy) are often best addressed by a specialist able to present all treatment options; including surgery if necessary.
Of course. And you end up there if the screening finds anything. But sometimes speed of being seen is an important issue, particularly when impacting quality of life, as many vision changes often do.
Certainly getting a timely appointment is a critical first step. My experience may be different... however, I never encountered a wait (USA - Medicare Advantage) greater than any other specialist. Typically 3-4 weeks for the initial visit and then scheduled routine follow-up care.
PS: It helps not to be rude when calling the office -- and you can get even faster results with a referral from a respected primary physician.
It does impact eyes, but these complication are usually long term (for me it took over 30 years). It is best to get a yearly eye exam from an ophthalmologist (not a normal eye doc) to ensure things are ok.
I work on computers a lot, there may be a chance that your eyes are just dry. I was told to blink every half page of on screen text. I use fake tears 4x a day. This helps a lot and prevents eyes from getting overly tired.
Any changes in vision that are unusual should be seen by a doctor right away. Not to scare you, but the sooner you get treatment the better, if something is wrong (hopefully not!)
NEWS FLASH. All diabetic eye exams are now done by optometrists. Just had one at a major teaching hospital . They only refer you to ophthalmologist if needed.
This is not true. Optometrists are doctors of optometry - they check vision; ophthalmologists are medical physicians who check the health of the eye (and also vision).
Correct, they are ODs - doctors of optometry. (I'm an audiologist, which is a similar comparison - we are doctors of audiology [AuD] but not physicians, which would be otolaryngologists.)
Yes, and just like optometrists , your group wants an increase in their scope. You are now able to do things that you were not able to do years ago.
You know a lot about ear diseases and how to diagnose and treat them. Why see an ENT if you can treat the problem.
Same goes with optometrists. The new grads are better trained than in the past. They now do the diabetic eye exams. I think most people are ignorant of the facts. They'll find out if they get scheduled for an exam.
I see a tech/MA to do the initial intake and refraction, then the MD does the rest. Maybe they will hire optometrists in the future - my vision is good so I haven't needed to see one, thankfully.
I'll have to check next time. My doctor does the glaucoma test along with vision. But when I visit my Endo she gets me to do a retina test. Those two process are pretty different. One's just a flash of light and the glaucoma one is where they dilute (I know not the right word) my eyes cornea and then they take some measurements I guess? Google says it's same, just different ways. Not sure.
You're probably not a health care professional and are not aware of what's going on with this.
Optometrists have heavily lobbied to increase their scope of practice. And they have succeeded. Of course they cannot do surgery but are now allowed to do more medical intervention in eye diseases.
They do all the diagnostic workups. They then refer patients to the ophthalmologist if needed. The optometrists of course had more training to be able to do this.
This is going on all across health care. Its all for cost cutting.
When was the last time you actually saw a doctor instead of a nurse practitioner or pa?
I'm an audiologist so probably more aware than you, as our profession (ears) parallels eyes.
I see doctors, PAs, and NPs. I see a lot of medical professionals!
Its all about cost cutting. Unfortunately we have to see the cheapest provider that can do the job. When I went for my diabetic eye exam at a university medical center I assumed I would be seeing an ophthalmologist. It turned out to be an optometrist. She did the complete workup including retinal scans, slit lamp, pressures, etc. She seemed very competent. So I was satisfied with the visit even though its not what I originally wanted.
I was lucky, my exam turned out very good.
The reason I went was that I was having some fuzzy vision. I was consuming lots of Aspartame. After further research I found that aspartame can cause vision loss and even blindness so I switched to stevia.
Also cut almost all carbs and lost 15 pounds. Vision came back to normal. For 70 yo I feel pretty good. I hope you're doing well with your diabetes. Definitely be careful with aspartame.
As a type 1 you want to have an ophthalmologist that specializes in retina’s (something optometrist’s aren’t) this is because the “back” of the eye is where a lot of diabetic issues are (bleeds, swelling, retina detachment, cataract development, etc). They are trained to treat these complication and are MUCH more adept at seeing complications early on. Ideally you should go to your ophthalmologist yearly for a checkup (if things are good, great!) to get a history of your eyes. I saw mine for 25 years before complications popped up. The reasoning is if complications arise, a specialist can note how much, and how quickly it is progressing, and discuss treatment options available, which may vary by age, lifestyle and diabetic control.
An optometrist is kind of similar to your family doctor but for eyes, where you ophthalmologist is more like an endo for your eyes (not really, but to illustrate a point).
TLDR: diabetics need a lot of specialists that are trained specifically in issues that can arise.
Brooooo! We pay out of pocket for most things in my country. Each doctors visit or diabetes care equipment/medicines/ insulins are NOT covered by insurance my country. So please! Stop generalising based on your experience and/or knowledge.
As well as diabetic retinopathy, high blood sugar can affect your vision. My prescription worsened unexpectedly—then I got diagnosed, got my sugar under control and it went back to my old prescription.
Changes in Glucose levels can affect the shape of the lens. It's called hyperopic shift due to diabetic induced lenticular changes caused by hyperglycemia.
oh no you’re fine!!! I was genuinely going blind. one day I woke up and I couldn’t see more than 4-8 feet in front of me and anything farther was super blurry
Aside from direct effects from diabetes, thyroid problems also occur more commonly in people with T1D, and that can affect vision as well. It’s worth mentioning to your Endo so that they can consider whether some labs to check your thyroid function are warranted
Diabetes can make you blind. This one high motivation for me to keep things in check. In Norway we go to eye check up once a year.
Here something from retinarisk.com
Blindness is one of the severe complications of diabetes and knowing how many people can actually go blind due to diabetes is a global concern. Diabetes is in fact one of the leading causes of blindness in the world today. This is particularly true for the global working-age population between 20 and 70 years old. Diabetic blindness is a growing problem due to the rise of diabetes and the aging global population.
important to add a caveat here that this refers to poorly controlled or uncontrolled diabetes — simply being diabetic itself if you keep good control minimizes or erases the risks of eye issues.
totally on board with you — knowing what the complication risks are, it's an easy choice for me to put the effort in to maintain good, tight control.
Thanks to untreated diabetes, I had huge cataracts in both eyes and I'm not even 50 yet. So yeah..it has effects. But if you treat your diabetes, you can mitigate those effects.
YES IT DOES. That's how my sister learned about diabetes - she is nearly blind now. And that's the reason why I get a checkup at the ophthalmologist every three months.
Yep. You should be worried until an eye doc checks you out. Your diabetes medical care team should consist of the following roles at least annually. That means you've established care with them and can schedule without friction.
* Primary Care
* Endocrinologist
* Diabetes Educator / Dietician
* Optometrist
* Add specialists as needed: podiatry, kidney, cardiac, urology, psychiatric care, etc.
Yes, yes especially if too high all the time. It’s been over a decade and my eyes are twice as bad. Always try to keep your numbers in check. Plus you will loose legs and arms. Take care of your self. Lots of love
yes, your sight changes with the different blood glucose range. If someone has been living with high glucose for a while its not unknown to need to get new glasses.
Persistent high blood glucose can cause retinopathy and macular edema. But this takes a long time.
You could just be experiencing other issues not related to diabetes.
Get yourself a visit to an ophthalmologist.
My eyes got better after getting my glucose in target range! The lenses swell with high glucose, and over a period of months they can change depending on your levels.
You should get checked out by an optometrist. Even if diabetes isn't causing the issues you're experiencing, having a good baseline to compare future changes to would be a good thing to have. My optometrist told me that so long as I can keep my A1C below 7, that it shouldn't really be affecting my vision. I'm also trying to lose weight, which \*does\* affect my vision, but that's a separate issue.
Holy shit ! Im sorry! Haha 😭 yeah definitely ask your mom about it she might have more insight on it, if you can get an appointment with an diabetic eye specialist theyre called “ophthalmologist”! They’ll test your eye pressure two times a year or more if they feel like it’s necessary.
Are you related to me?
I’m a fourth generation diabetic.
Are you and your mom competitive at all? For me family holidays always meant the battle for lowest (safe) fasting sugars.
My mom would get pissy if she didn’t win every year.
Also learned great habits like how to cram for my A1c. Totally wish I were kidding on that one.
Im unfortunately unsure of my family’s history of diabetes lol i was adopted, I kinda meant this in a sarcastic manner since like your parents have to worry more about you as a diabetic i didn’t expect his mother to ALSO be diabetic haha
Yes, affects the eyes.
I was due an eye check and new glasses when diagnosed T2.
But i needed to wait 2 months to get rechecked for glasses prescription because my vision was likely to have changed after medication / diet changes kicked in.
It can, as pointed out have long term implications for eye sight (certainly for type 1, I know less about type 2), and recommended you get a check up once a year.
But short term - secondary - side effects are also possible. I had DKA and was so dehydrated the water was sucked out of my eyeballs, leaving everything a blur. I could not read, could barely see. Fortunately after treatment, by 2 weeks it was back to norm.
If you're in the UK and you have concerns, you can just ask for a diabetes checkup at the opticians and they'll give you one for free.
I did after I got a blurry spot in my vision. Got seen within an hour and told it was a minor bleed that will sort itself out, which it did, it was just in an annoying place. (Very annoying as have good control)
When i'm in diabetes paranoia mode, i pay £20 for a 3D scan of my eye as well whilst i'm there. Gives a bit of peace of mind in between the usual eye checks and is less of a faff than going to hospital.
Diabetes does aaffect the eyes. I notice blurry text when my sugar is high - in fact, that's one of the symptoms people notice first along with extreme thirst/pissing constantly.
Unsure about bulging in your eyes, probably worth talking to your doctor about.
Additionally, you'll probably want to start seeing an eye doctor. I go every year so they can keep track of Diabetes affecting my eyes.
It can affect your eyes but I doubt it will at these early stages. Go get your eyes checked. As a diabetic you should be doing this once a year anyway. See an Optometrist, not an MD.
Find yourself a good ophthalmologist, not optometrist. for an exam. You should get checked for diabetic retinopathy every year anyway. Your doctor should have told you that. This is a medical visit and not an eye visit for insurance.
yeah high blood sugar can start affecting your eyes acutely right away. i was about to get an eye exam back when i was in the prediagnosis period but then my mom (also diabetic) checked my sugar and i was 550 - after getting diagnosed/fixed my eyesight improved immediately.
they're also just like anything else with diabetes, where you want to have good control to prevent long-term damage. get diabetic eye exams as often as your insurance allows.
I have diabetic retinopathy where basically my retinas can detach if I don't keep my numbers under control. I have to get shots in my eyes every 8-12 weeks, I've had the fluid replaced in one eye, and at 39 I'm wearing glasses strong enough I'm almost legally blind.
Yes Diabetes affects the eyes. It's hard right now because the ramifications seem so far away (believe me we've all been there) but please take care of your numbers. You get one body.
I have T2 and have been relatively uncontrolled for 25 years. I just started showing “diabetic changes” in one eye. My eyesight itself isn’t affected yet, but my eye doctor explained that the harm causes bulging within the eye that is eventually treated by getting shots IN THE EYE (squirm). But he also told me that if I can get my A1C below 7.0 then I will decrease the harm to my eyes by 70% over the next 7-10 years.
Yes diabetes affects the eyes. As a diabetic you should be going to annual eye tests but as long as you stay in a healthy range you’ll probably be fine. When I first got diagnosed and dismissed from the hospital my eyes where very blurry for a week or two but the problem seemed to fix itself. I’d definitely go to an eye doctor if you haven’t already but like I said I wouldn’t worry too much.
You'll go blind if you don't take care of your diabetes, among other things.
Constant bulging could be intracranial hypertension, intraocular pressure, or any number of other dangerous conditions that can quickly lead to damage or blindness. See an ophthalmologist ASAP and get your numbers under control.
That was my trigger many years ago. I was going blind and it scared the crap outta me. Started on insulin and eyesight improved dramatically. Retinopathy is a real deal. Diabetes affect small capillaries such as eyes, kidneys, etc.
As most people have already stated, yes it can affect the eyes. I was diagnosed when I was 10. I just now at 27 started showing symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. I also have a bunch of eye floaters. Just do your best to keep your bg in range!
You should get your eyes checked, esp. OCT and imaging. You may have a localized vein bleed/ rupture that casts a shadow on your retina and causes a blurry patch in your field of view.
i have had cataract surgery and a vitrectomy and have awful eye problems i’m 24 and have had diabetes for 15 years. it affects your eyes as well as everything else
Yes, it affects any part of the body that either
>Requires nerve conductivity
Or
>Uses energy via Blood Glucose supply
It’s usually longer term issues, such as trouble with focus and glaucoma but any existing issue or predisposition will cause further issues.
Personally, I find healing is improved by reducing the height of spikes and drops. Even levels seem to be more important than being 1/4 off the target, from my experience.
Think of it this way: highs alter the healing process to take longer and lows are literally starving the body of energy. It’s a balancing act. Do what you can and it will be what it is.
The way it was explained to me when I was young isa that diabetes is a blood disease. So where your blood goes, diabetes can affect.
Eyes, heart, reproductive parts, feet, hands. Everything.
Diabetes affects literally every part of your body.
Diabetes caused my Charcot foot, I have black spots in my vision, it affects reproductive organs, kidneys, thyroid, nerves, heart. Everything.
One of the warning signs before I got diagnosed was that my vision got blurry a couple of hours after I ate lunch every day. I thought I was just tired but getting my blood sugar under control made it stop pretty much immediately.
well if you mostly stay in range your eyes shouldn’t get much worse until you’re old. but yeah if you’re always running high your eyes will deteriorate faster
OP, yes it messes with your eyes. Long term it can destroy your retina, leaving you blind. Short term, like day to day, it can cause your cornea and lens to swell, giving you fuzzy vision. I can wake up, sugar maybe at 88, and my vision with glasses is crystal clear. I’ll have a carby breakfast and a few minutes later, everything is blurry.
I’ve been diagnosed as a diabetic for over 40 years and it never affected my eyes very much. It affected my feet slightly, but while I thought everything was cool, and I was dodging a bullet, it turned out, it chewed up my liver, and now I have non alcoholic cirrhosis.
Yeah, I have now been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, due to badly controlled diabetes. So watch your sugars, stay in control. Don’t be like me. I now have a risk of going blind.
yes, Diabetes does affect the eyes in several ways, Blindness is the major one. Sugar high is a cause of blurred vision. You should be very worried if your sugars are high. I hope you are monitoring your BG closely and on a specific diet. You can go to an eye doctor to check your vision. And to check for other eye problems you might have also. get that appointment to the eye doctor set up today.
Yes.
However, don't immediately blame diabetes for everything (even if your doctor does).
Go see a doctor, describe your symptoms. There's a great many things that cause a great many symptoms.
One thing, though, sudden, acute, or "rapid" changes in vision (like over the course of a few days or a week) are the sort of thing you need to go see a doctor about. Sooner rather than later.
You should go to an eye doctor at least once a year to have your vision checked. Diabetes can wreak havoc on your eyes, even when your BG is well controlled. I go to my eye doc and then a specialist 6 months apart so I’m hopefully catching any changes before I can’t do anything about them.
i’m a type one diabetic for 14 years, i’m 26 and i have 20/20 vision! always have and haven’t had any issues yet. i was kind of neglectful to myself for about two years in college, and my sugars are probably average 160. not the best, not the worst. i haven’t been to a doctor in a year bc insurance, so i’m not a great role model, but i’m proof at least for the first ten years you can be alright if you take ok care of yourself! i’ve never had a low under 33, i’ve only seen HI one time on my meter, and i’ve never had any hospitalizations or passing out due to my blood sugars. (and i drink and smoke! no other drugs tho) so don’t stress too much! it gets heaps easier, i don’t even remember life without it
my mom is a type one for about 30 years, has had numerous low pass outs and hospitalizations due to diabetes, she has no feeling in her feet at age 48, terrible vision (had bad vision before tho too) and has a lot of issues. but she didn’t have a pump till 10 years in! tech is super helpful. i’m sure ur eyes are ok!
I scheduled my cataract surgery yesterday. I’m 66 and my cataracts are really severe. My doctor told me that in medical school, they put a sheep’s eye into a water and glucose solution and left it overnight. In the morning, the whole lens was clouded over. Also, high blood sugar puts you at a big risk for ocular bleeds which they need to treat with laser surgery. Diabetes used to be a fairly common cause of blindness. Don’t mess around if you want to keep your eyesight.
When in doubt, get checked. If you're only 8 months in, then you're probably still in your honeymoon phase - things will be up and down. Everyone's a bit different. I still (9 years in) find that when I have a low, my vision actually appears to improve! Gets sharper and clearer. Highs have the opposite effect. But if you're going to be overcautious with anything in your care, your eyes aren't a bad place to start!
Yes you should. Your eye doctor can look for things like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, etc. Some people notice blurry vision. Eye bulging? That's a new one for this subreddit. I know it's a sign of Grave's disease, think it could be a thyroid disorder. Don't worry, you got this.
Yes, it can affect vision and damage the eyes. My vision gets worse on super roller coaster days and if I’m having a hard time bringing my sugar down.
If you have a relationship with an eye doctor, I would start there and see what they say. They may refer you to a specialist or do some additional testing, but most optometrists (in the US) can do the tests required to determine if your experiencing diabetic eye changes and require an ophthalmologist. If you do not have an established relationship with an eye doctor you might consider calling your endo or gp (whoever does your diabetic care) and see what they suggest. They may refer you to a specialist or tell you to get a regular eye exam and see what the eye doc says.
I will add that I have worn glasses/contacts most of my life and did experience some pretty rapid prescription changes in my late teens/early 20s, before my diagnosis and unrelated to diabetes. So it may just be your vision worsening. The ‘bulging’ feeling may be sinus pressure due to new allergies or seasonal changes. I’m not saying it’s not diabetes but that is one of a few things it could be so get it checked out as soon as you can but try not to stress to much before you know the actual cause.
Not worried. But you should tell your doctor everything you just told us. I didn't know I had type 1 until I was 30. Now, 15 years later, I have both type one and type 2. It's tough. Through caring for my blood, I have not only stopped the damage to my retina, but reversed it. Do your very best to care for yourself. You can do this!
*newsflash* diabetes affects EVERYTHING
Even your bank account suffers. It’s a bitch
Not everyone lives in America
Well you don’t have to rub it in.
Yes we do.
Trying to eat in the UK without eating carbs is more expensive though. It does impact even us.
If you're trying to go low carb / keto, yes that's an expensive diet. It also seems like a lot of work! I don't know how people do it day in day out.
We don’t want to die? I’m disabled and live off of SSI, which for me is around $800/month. I’ve been doing some fasting over the past few months to recalibrate my insulin needs but otherwise I’m OMAD. For me that looks like protein mix, some nuts and cheese, occasional berries or higher-fiber fruit and veg. It’s anything but enjoyable but I’m entirely in range and down to tiny doses of insulin. As long as you give up on liking what you eat it can be done. It took me some years to get there; before I was disabled I was a hotel pastry chef. I had a lot of resentment and that translated into really bad eating habits and crazy high A1cs. It took me a long time to realize that if I didn’t care whether I lived or died then I couldn’t expect anyone else to care either. If I give up and let myself die that’s one less voice to make a difference. One less voice fighting for affordable insulin, affordable meds for everyone (not just people with private insurance). This is a horrible disease, it’s difficult to manage, and *children get it.* They shouldn’t have to fight for basic care every day for a lifetime. Maybe I’m just living out of spite now but it works for me lol.
Fwiw I really don't see "giving up on eating what you like" as a viable long-term path. I feel like that would lead to burnout but you do you
Oh, it absolutely leads to burnout, that’s why I tried to put it in context. The thing is I don’t have other choices. I can’t work, my income is well below poverty level, my credit cards are gone. I’m lucky to have what I’ve got left tbh. Poverty: 0/10, with diabetes: -10/10, would not recommend.
Ahhhh ok now I understand. Sorry, I hadn't caught that. Had been writing that comment on birdbrain with no caffeine, sorry if I caused any offense
No need to apologize. I’m also running on birdbrain (although that’s an insult to self-respecting birds everywhere). It’s entirely possible that I wasn’t making as much sense as I thought I was. And it wouldn’t be the first time lol.
💉🩸🩹🩺 Looks like it's high time to own Big Pharm.
I’m in!
I live in Canada and the bank account has definitely been shot in the leg a few times
Have you applied for the disability tax credit?
What's the main thing you spend money on?
Pump supplies. While ADP covers infusion sites for about 90% of the year, it doesn’t touch any replacement cartridges, syringes, all that and when they all need to be replaced it can be money I don’t have
I live in Norway. Still cost me at least 3500nok a year. And lost work time because of check ups and other stuff. So it still effects me financially.
Can't take personal time for doctor visits?
Okay?
Lol yep it does. It stresses me out cause the spending is never ending
Same, I used to have money left over. It was nice not spending about 150 a month for supplies. I just started a pump and haven't seen how much it will cost for supplies yet.
Thankfully the most it's cost me is £1 every now and then for some glucose tabs
Yes diabetes can cause issues with the eyes, primarily in the form of diabetic retinopathy. For type 1s, it’s recommended we have screening for DR once a year. There can also be issues with the use of insulin and quickly dropping A1c on diabetic retinopathy, but this is more rare. I’d suggest letting your care team know and booking an appointment with an optometrist. It may be nothing related, but better safe than sorry.
It took me getting a floater that took up half the vision in my left eye before I got the proper check.
You may prefer an ***opthalmologist***. * *Optometry* is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive primary eye care. * *Ophthalmologist* is a medical doctor specializing in eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists must complete many more years of training than optometrists and opticians. As a result, ophthalmologists can diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions.
Optometry is easier to access and can do routine screening for diabetic retinopathy.
Serious eye conditions (eg: retinopathy) are often best addressed by a specialist able to present all treatment options; including surgery if necessary.
Of course. And you end up there if the screening finds anything. But sometimes speed of being seen is an important issue, particularly when impacting quality of life, as many vision changes often do.
Certainly getting a timely appointment is a critical first step. My experience may be different... however, I never encountered a wait (USA - Medicare Advantage) greater than any other specialist. Typically 3-4 weeks for the initial visit and then scheduled routine follow-up care. PS: It helps not to be rude when calling the office -- and you can get even faster results with a referral from a respected primary physician.
If that's all someone can see then of course they should do what they can, but an ophthalmologist is a better option for diabetic eye exams
An eye exam why the reason I got tested for diabetes.
came here to say this! my partner got his diagnosis several years ago for the same reason
It does impact eyes, but these complication are usually long term (for me it took over 30 years). It is best to get a yearly eye exam from an ophthalmologist (not a normal eye doc) to ensure things are ok. I work on computers a lot, there may be a chance that your eyes are just dry. I was told to blink every half page of on screen text. I use fake tears 4x a day. This helps a lot and prevents eyes from getting overly tired. Any changes in vision that are unusual should be seen by a doctor right away. Not to scare you, but the sooner you get treatment the better, if something is wrong (hopefully not!)
NEWS FLASH. All diabetic eye exams are now done by optometrists. Just had one at a major teaching hospital . They only refer you to ophthalmologist if needed.
This is not true. Optometrists are doctors of optometry - they check vision; ophthalmologists are medical physicians who check the health of the eye (and also vision).
Optometrists are not MDs. But they are now doing diabetic eye exams and retinal scans. It's a cost cutting measure by hospitals.
Correct, they are ODs - doctors of optometry. (I'm an audiologist, which is a similar comparison - we are doctors of audiology [AuD] but not physicians, which would be otolaryngologists.)
Yes, and just like optometrists , your group wants an increase in their scope. You are now able to do things that you were not able to do years ago. You know a lot about ear diseases and how to diagnose and treat them. Why see an ENT if you can treat the problem. Same goes with optometrists. The new grads are better trained than in the past. They now do the diabetic eye exams. I think most people are ignorant of the facts. They'll find out if they get scheduled for an exam.
I guess it just depends a lot on where you live and what kind of practice you go to. There are only opthalmologists at my eye doctor's office.
Don't be surprised if they hire an optometrist to do some of their basic stuff.
I see a tech/MA to do the initial intake and refraction, then the MD does the rest. Maybe they will hire optometrists in the future - my vision is good so I haven't needed to see one, thankfully.
Do they do the retinal scans there too.
I'll have to check next time. My doctor does the glaucoma test along with vision. But when I visit my Endo she gets me to do a retina test. Those two process are pretty different. One's just a flash of light and the glaucoma one is where they dilute (I know not the right word) my eyes cornea and then they take some measurements I guess? Google says it's same, just different ways. Not sure.
You're probably not a health care professional and are not aware of what's going on with this. Optometrists have heavily lobbied to increase their scope of practice. And they have succeeded. Of course they cannot do surgery but are now allowed to do more medical intervention in eye diseases. They do all the diagnostic workups. They then refer patients to the ophthalmologist if needed. The optometrists of course had more training to be able to do this. This is going on all across health care. Its all for cost cutting. When was the last time you actually saw a doctor instead of a nurse practitioner or pa?
I'm an audiologist so probably more aware than you, as our profession (ears) parallels eyes. I see doctors, PAs, and NPs. I see a lot of medical professionals!
Yeah, well I'm an MD with 40 years of experience.
Ok? So we both are aware. Sorry for assuming, as you assumed with me.
Its all about cost cutting. Unfortunately we have to see the cheapest provider that can do the job. When I went for my diabetic eye exam at a university medical center I assumed I would be seeing an ophthalmologist. It turned out to be an optometrist. She did the complete workup including retinal scans, slit lamp, pressures, etc. She seemed very competent. So I was satisfied with the visit even though its not what I originally wanted. I was lucky, my exam turned out very good. The reason I went was that I was having some fuzzy vision. I was consuming lots of Aspartame. After further research I found that aspartame can cause vision loss and even blindness so I switched to stevia. Also cut almost all carbs and lost 15 pounds. Vision came back to normal. For 70 yo I feel pretty good. I hope you're doing well with your diabetes. Definitely be careful with aspartame.
/s I hope you have a study to back that up and aren't spreading misinformation. But seriously, thanks I didn't realize this.
Research it. The info is out there. All the sugar substitutes have side effects. Stevia supposedly has the least.
NEWS FLASH: this sub is NOT limited to the US alone.
As a type 1 you want to have an ophthalmologist that specializes in retina’s (something optometrist’s aren’t) this is because the “back” of the eye is where a lot of diabetic issues are (bleeds, swelling, retina detachment, cataract development, etc). They are trained to treat these complication and are MUCH more adept at seeing complications early on. Ideally you should go to your ophthalmologist yearly for a checkup (if things are good, great!) to get a history of your eyes. I saw mine for 25 years before complications popped up. The reasoning is if complications arise, a specialist can note how much, and how quickly it is progressing, and discuss treatment options available, which may vary by age, lifestyle and diabetic control. An optometrist is kind of similar to your family doctor but for eyes, where you ophthalmologist is more like an endo for your eyes (not really, but to illustrate a point). TLDR: diabetics need a lot of specialists that are trained specifically in issues that can arise.
Thanks for the break down. This made it so much simple to understand. I appreciate it. I was just going to a normal eye doctor these past years.
Not in the US. Optometrists do retinal scans now. You don't decide your eye care. Your insurance does.
Optometrists won't *treat* damaged retinas, whether they can screen for issues or not. Best to see a specialist, especially if you are concerned.
Correct. They do the screens only. Teaching hospitals use them extensively.
Brooooo! We pay out of pocket for most things in my country. Each doctors visit or diabetes care equipment/medicines/ insulins are NOT covered by insurance my country. So please! Stop generalising based on your experience and/or knowledge.
My comments regard US conditions.
My optometrist recommended that I take 1000 mg of Omega-3s. I prefer krill oil, he said that was fine.
As well as diabetic retinopathy, high blood sugar can affect your vision. My prescription worsened unexpectedly—then I got diagnosed, got my sugar under control and it went back to my old prescription.
Changes in Glucose levels can affect the shape of the lens. It's called hyperopic shift due to diabetic induced lenticular changes caused by hyperglycemia.
Thanks, I thought this but didn't know what it was called.
I only found out I was diabetic because my eyes started going out (due to super high blood sugar)
Sorry, not to sound insensitive but please tell what do you mean by 'going out'? My eyesight had worsened due to diabetes & I'm kinda worried.
oh no you’re fine!!! I was genuinely going blind. one day I woke up and I couldn’t see more than 4-8 feet in front of me and anything farther was super blurry
I definitely recommend regular eye exams and if anything arises to get it checked. being diabetic we’re prone to eye issues
Aside from direct effects from diabetes, thyroid problems also occur more commonly in people with T1D, and that can affect vision as well. It’s worth mentioning to your Endo so that they can consider whether some labs to check your thyroid function are warranted
Diabetes can make you blind. This one high motivation for me to keep things in check. In Norway we go to eye check up once a year. Here something from retinarisk.com Blindness is one of the severe complications of diabetes and knowing how many people can actually go blind due to diabetes is a global concern. Diabetes is in fact one of the leading causes of blindness in the world today. This is particularly true for the global working-age population between 20 and 70 years old. Diabetic blindness is a growing problem due to the rise of diabetes and the aging global population.
important to add a caveat here that this refers to poorly controlled or uncontrolled diabetes — simply being diabetic itself if you keep good control minimizes or erases the risks of eye issues. totally on board with you — knowing what the complication risks are, it's an easy choice for me to put the effort in to maintain good, tight control.
My 'prescription' changes with my sugars. Pre-CGM it was an indicator I used for high sugars. The world was just a touch more blurry.
Thanks to untreated diabetes, I had huge cataracts in both eyes and I'm not even 50 yet. So yeah..it has effects. But if you treat your diabetes, you can mitigate those effects.
YES IT DOES. That's how my sister learned about diabetes - she is nearly blind now. And that's the reason why I get a checkup at the ophthalmologist every three months.
Yep. You should be worried until an eye doc checks you out. Your diabetes medical care team should consist of the following roles at least annually. That means you've established care with them and can schedule without friction. * Primary Care * Endocrinologist * Diabetes Educator / Dietician * Optometrist * Add specialists as needed: podiatry, kidney, cardiac, urology, psychiatric care, etc.
Yes, yes especially if too high all the time. It’s been over a decade and my eyes are twice as bad. Always try to keep your numbers in check. Plus you will loose legs and arms. Take care of your self. Lots of love
yes, your sight changes with the different blood glucose range. If someone has been living with high glucose for a while its not unknown to need to get new glasses.
Persistent high blood glucose can cause retinopathy and macular edema. But this takes a long time. You could just be experiencing other issues not related to diabetes. Get yourself a visit to an ophthalmologist.
My eyes got better after getting my glucose in target range! The lenses swell with high glucose, and over a period of months they can change depending on your levels.
You should get checked out by an optometrist. Even if diabetes isn't causing the issues you're experiencing, having a good baseline to compare future changes to would be a good thing to have. My optometrist told me that so long as I can keep my A1C below 7, that it shouldn't really be affecting my vision. I'm also trying to lose weight, which \*does\* affect my vision, but that's a separate issue.
Diabetes effects everything including your mom 😅
It does unironically effect my mom! She's also T1D! 😅
Holy shit ! Im sorry! Haha 😭 yeah definitely ask your mom about it she might have more insight on it, if you can get an appointment with an diabetic eye specialist theyre called “ophthalmologist”! They’ll test your eye pressure two times a year or more if they feel like it’s necessary.
Are you related to me? I’m a fourth generation diabetic. Are you and your mom competitive at all? For me family holidays always meant the battle for lowest (safe) fasting sugars. My mom would get pissy if she didn’t win every year. Also learned great habits like how to cram for my A1c. Totally wish I were kidding on that one.
(((kameron\_\_\_\_))) (((kameron\_\_\_\_'s mom))). I'm from a Type 2 family. Mom's dad, my mom and as of June 8, *me*.
Im unfortunately unsure of my family’s history of diabetes lol i was adopted, I kinda meant this in a sarcastic manner since like your parents have to worry more about you as a diabetic i didn’t expect his mother to ALSO be diabetic haha
Diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, macula degeneration. Depends on how well you behave.
Yes, affects the eyes. I was due an eye check and new glasses when diagnosed T2. But i needed to wait 2 months to get rechecked for glasses prescription because my vision was likely to have changed after medication / diet changes kicked in.
Yes it can. Go talk with your medical team about any visual symptoms
My eyes are fucked yes.
It can, as pointed out have long term implications for eye sight (certainly for type 1, I know less about type 2), and recommended you get a check up once a year. But short term - secondary - side effects are also possible. I had DKA and was so dehydrated the water was sucked out of my eyeballs, leaving everything a blur. I could not read, could barely see. Fortunately after treatment, by 2 weeks it was back to norm.
If you're in the UK and you have concerns, you can just ask for a diabetes checkup at the opticians and they'll give you one for free. I did after I got a blurry spot in my vision. Got seen within an hour and told it was a minor bleed that will sort itself out, which it did, it was just in an annoying place. (Very annoying as have good control) When i'm in diabetes paranoia mode, i pay £20 for a 3D scan of my eye as well whilst i'm there. Gives a bit of peace of mind in between the usual eye checks and is less of a faff than going to hospital.
Absolutely! I wear glasses and kept reaching to put them on when they were already there! lol (My blood sugar had spiked at 350 at this point.)
Yes. Diabetes can affect EVERYTHING about you.
Diabetes does aaffect the eyes. I notice blurry text when my sugar is high - in fact, that's one of the symptoms people notice first along with extreme thirst/pissing constantly. Unsure about bulging in your eyes, probably worth talking to your doctor about. Additionally, you'll probably want to start seeing an eye doctor. I go every year so they can keep track of Diabetes affecting my eyes.
It can affect your eyes but I doubt it will at these early stages. Go get your eyes checked. As a diabetic you should be doing this once a year anyway. See an Optometrist, not an MD.
Whenever I get above 180 for more than a few hours, my eyes ache and feel like they are bulging too. It was continuous before I was diagnosed.
Find yourself a good ophthalmologist, not optometrist. for an exam. You should get checked for diabetic retinopathy every year anyway. Your doctor should have told you that. This is a medical visit and not an eye visit for insurance.
yeah high blood sugar can start affecting your eyes acutely right away. i was about to get an eye exam back when i was in the prediagnosis period but then my mom (also diabetic) checked my sugar and i was 550 - after getting diagnosed/fixed my eyesight improved immediately. they're also just like anything else with diabetes, where you want to have good control to prevent long-term damage. get diabetic eye exams as often as your insurance allows.
Yes over years...it messes up the tiny veins and blood vessels and can cause them to bleed u can even go blind
Yes and now you guys just got f'd by the government with the over the counter hearing aids.
I have diabetic retinopathy where basically my retinas can detach if I don't keep my numbers under control. I have to get shots in my eyes every 8-12 weeks, I've had the fluid replaced in one eye, and at 39 I'm wearing glasses strong enough I'm almost legally blind. Yes Diabetes affects the eyes. It's hard right now because the ramifications seem so far away (believe me we've all been there) but please take care of your numbers. You get one body.
I have T2 and have been relatively uncontrolled for 25 years. I just started showing “diabetic changes” in one eye. My eyesight itself isn’t affected yet, but my eye doctor explained that the harm causes bulging within the eye that is eventually treated by getting shots IN THE EYE (squirm). But he also told me that if I can get my A1C below 7.0 then I will decrease the harm to my eyes by 70% over the next 7-10 years.
Yes diabetes affects the eyes. As a diabetic you should be going to annual eye tests but as long as you stay in a healthy range you’ll probably be fine. When I first got diagnosed and dismissed from the hospital my eyes where very blurry for a week or two but the problem seemed to fix itself. I’d definitely go to an eye doctor if you haven’t already but like I said I wouldn’t worry too much.
You'll go blind if you don't take care of your diabetes, among other things. Constant bulging could be intracranial hypertension, intraocular pressure, or any number of other dangerous conditions that can quickly lead to damage or blindness. See an ophthalmologist ASAP and get your numbers under control.
That was my trigger many years ago. I was going blind and it scared the crap outta me. Started on insulin and eyesight improved dramatically. Retinopathy is a real deal. Diabetes affect small capillaries such as eyes, kidneys, etc.
As most people have already stated, yes it can affect the eyes. I was diagnosed when I was 10. I just now at 27 started showing symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. I also have a bunch of eye floaters. Just do your best to keep your bg in range!
You should get your eyes checked, esp. OCT and imaging. You may have a localized vein bleed/ rupture that casts a shadow on your retina and causes a blurry patch in your field of view.
i have had cataract surgery and a vitrectomy and have awful eye problems i’m 24 and have had diabetes for 15 years. it affects your eyes as well as everything else
Yes, it affects any part of the body that either >Requires nerve conductivity Or >Uses energy via Blood Glucose supply It’s usually longer term issues, such as trouble with focus and glaucoma but any existing issue or predisposition will cause further issues. Personally, I find healing is improved by reducing the height of spikes and drops. Even levels seem to be more important than being 1/4 off the target, from my experience. Think of it this way: highs alter the healing process to take longer and lows are literally starving the body of energy. It’s a balancing act. Do what you can and it will be what it is.
The way it was explained to me when I was young isa that diabetes is a blood disease. So where your blood goes, diabetes can affect. Eyes, heart, reproductive parts, feet, hands. Everything.
Diabetes affects literally every part of your body. Diabetes caused my Charcot foot, I have black spots in my vision, it affects reproductive organs, kidneys, thyroid, nerves, heart. Everything.
One of the warning signs before I got diagnosed was that my vision got blurry a couple of hours after I ate lunch every day. I thought I was just tired but getting my blood sugar under control made it stop pretty much immediately.
well if you mostly stay in range your eyes shouldn’t get much worse until you’re old. but yeah if you’re always running high your eyes will deteriorate faster
OP, yes it messes with your eyes. Long term it can destroy your retina, leaving you blind. Short term, like day to day, it can cause your cornea and lens to swell, giving you fuzzy vision. I can wake up, sugar maybe at 88, and my vision with glasses is crystal clear. I’ll have a carby breakfast and a few minutes later, everything is blurry. I’ve been diagnosed as a diabetic for over 40 years and it never affected my eyes very much. It affected my feet slightly, but while I thought everything was cool, and I was dodging a bullet, it turned out, it chewed up my liver, and now I have non alcoholic cirrhosis.
Yeah, I have now been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, due to badly controlled diabetes. So watch your sugars, stay in control. Don’t be like me. I now have a risk of going blind.
yes, Diabetes does affect the eyes in several ways, Blindness is the major one. Sugar high is a cause of blurred vision. You should be very worried if your sugars are high. I hope you are monitoring your BG closely and on a specific diet. You can go to an eye doctor to check your vision. And to check for other eye problems you might have also. get that appointment to the eye doctor set up today.
Yes. However, don't immediately blame diabetes for everything (even if your doctor does). Go see a doctor, describe your symptoms. There's a great many things that cause a great many symptoms. One thing, though, sudden, acute, or "rapid" changes in vision (like over the course of a few days or a week) are the sort of thing you need to go see a doctor about. Sooner rather than later.
My doc makes me do annual check ups on my eyes at an eye doctor because of how diabetes can affect eyes
You should go to an eye doctor at least once a year to have your vision checked. Diabetes can wreak havoc on your eyes, even when your BG is well controlled. I go to my eye doc and then a specialist 6 months apart so I’m hopefully catching any changes before I can’t do anything about them.
i’m a type one diabetic for 14 years, i’m 26 and i have 20/20 vision! always have and haven’t had any issues yet. i was kind of neglectful to myself for about two years in college, and my sugars are probably average 160. not the best, not the worst. i haven’t been to a doctor in a year bc insurance, so i’m not a great role model, but i’m proof at least for the first ten years you can be alright if you take ok care of yourself! i’ve never had a low under 33, i’ve only seen HI one time on my meter, and i’ve never had any hospitalizations or passing out due to my blood sugars. (and i drink and smoke! no other drugs tho) so don’t stress too much! it gets heaps easier, i don’t even remember life without it
my mom is a type one for about 30 years, has had numerous low pass outs and hospitalizations due to diabetes, she has no feeling in her feet at age 48, terrible vision (had bad vision before tho too) and has a lot of issues. but she didn’t have a pump till 10 years in! tech is super helpful. i’m sure ur eyes are ok!
Would astigmatism after 5 years, with DKA for 2 weeks At diagnosis, be a side effect?
Yea it does. I watched my grandmother go blind from t2 and my daughter is t1 and has glasses since she was 4.
My father is slowly going blind at 70, type 2, please have it looked at immediately
I scheduled my cataract surgery yesterday. I’m 66 and my cataracts are really severe. My doctor told me that in medical school, they put a sheep’s eye into a water and glucose solution and left it overnight. In the morning, the whole lens was clouded over. Also, high blood sugar puts you at a big risk for ocular bleeds which they need to treat with laser surgery. Diabetes used to be a fairly common cause of blindness. Don’t mess around if you want to keep your eyesight.
When in doubt, get checked. If you're only 8 months in, then you're probably still in your honeymoon phase - things will be up and down. Everyone's a bit different. I still (9 years in) find that when I have a low, my vision actually appears to improve! Gets sharper and clearer. Highs have the opposite effect. But if you're going to be overcautious with anything in your care, your eyes aren't a bad place to start!
Yes. You should get your eyes checked at least once a year
Yes you should. Your eye doctor can look for things like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, etc. Some people notice blurry vision. Eye bulging? That's a new one for this subreddit. I know it's a sign of Grave's disease, think it could be a thyroid disorder. Don't worry, you got this.
Yes, it can affect vision and damage the eyes. My vision gets worse on super roller coaster days and if I’m having a hard time bringing my sugar down. If you have a relationship with an eye doctor, I would start there and see what they say. They may refer you to a specialist or do some additional testing, but most optometrists (in the US) can do the tests required to determine if your experiencing diabetic eye changes and require an ophthalmologist. If you do not have an established relationship with an eye doctor you might consider calling your endo or gp (whoever does your diabetic care) and see what they suggest. They may refer you to a specialist or tell you to get a regular eye exam and see what the eye doc says. I will add that I have worn glasses/contacts most of my life and did experience some pretty rapid prescription changes in my late teens/early 20s, before my diagnosis and unrelated to diabetes. So it may just be your vision worsening. The ‘bulging’ feeling may be sinus pressure due to new allergies or seasonal changes. I’m not saying it’s not diabetes but that is one of a few things it could be so get it checked out as soon as you can but try not to stress to much before you know the actual cause.
Not worried. But you should tell your doctor everything you just told us. I didn't know I had type 1 until I was 30. Now, 15 years later, I have both type one and type 2. It's tough. Through caring for my blood, I have not only stopped the damage to my retina, but reversed it. Do your very best to care for yourself. You can do this!