Diabetes and Eye Health
2021-05-21
Taking good care of your eyes is especially important for people with type 1 diabetes. No matter what your blood sugar levels or A1c is, we all need annual eye exams to help us prevent eye complications and treat them as soon as possible to protect our vision.
Learn everything you need to know about how diabetes can impact your eyes, and what you can do to keep them healthy!
Eye Health Basics
Why You Should Schedule Your Annual Diabetes Eye Exam
Your annual diabetes eye exam is the best way to protect your vision from diabetes-related eye complications.MORE
What to Expect at Your Annual Diabetes Eye Exam
Painless and non-invasive, your annual diabetes eye exam will be looking for signs of these five eye conditions...MORE
What’s the Difference: Ophthalmologist vs. Optometrist vs. Optician
Regular appointments with eye specialists are the best way to protect your eyes and your vision from diabetes complications.MORE
What does 20/20 vision mean?
The vision test you’ve probably been doing since you were 3 years old is called “visual acuity testing” and it determines whether your vision is 20/20 or something else.MORE
Protecting Your Eyes as a Person of Color with Diabetes
Dr. Kristen Nwanyanwu is working to improve eye care and diabetes education provided to people of color with diabetes.MORE
Can People with Diabetes Get LASIK Eye Surgery?
Have you heard rumors that you can’t get LASIK while living with diabetes? SPOILER: They’re not true! Learn more about getting LASIK...MORETips to Protect Your Eyes
Computer Screens & Blue Light: What Screen Time Can Do to Your Eyes
65% of Americans report experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain, also referred to as “computer vision syndrome”.MORE
Which Sunglasses are Best for People with Diabetes?
You probably know that UVA and UVB light can both damage your skin -- increasing your risk of skin cancer -- but it’s important to protect your eyes from UV light, too.MOREEye Complications
All About “Dry Eye” with Diabetes
One of the most common yet rarely talked about eye conditions in people with diabetes is “dry eye,” it affects approximately 54 percent of people with diabetes.MORE
All About Diabetic Retinopathy
Retinopathy is one of the most common and most serious diabetes-related eye complications. It’s actually the leading cause of preventable blindness.MORE
All About Diabetic Macular Edema
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is extremely common in people with diabetic retinopathy. These two eye conditions are the leading cause of blindness in developed countries across the globe.MORE
All About Cataracts in People with Diabetes
For people with diabetes, chronically high blood sugar levels can affect the wellbeing of your lenses and lead to cataracts.MORE
All About Glaucoma in People with Diabetes
People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma compared to the non-diabetic population, but you can take steps to reduce your risk.MORE
Floaters in Your Vision: When Should You Be Concerned?
Floaters are very common in people with diabetes who have developed diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema.MOREPersonal Stories
Bethany’s Story: My Eye Started Bleeding the Day My First Child Was Born
With 40 years of type 1 diabetes under her belt, Bethany shares her experience with laser treatments for retinopathy.MORE
Rachael’s Story: My Stage 4 Diabetic Retinopathy Went Undiagnosed for Years
Rachael's eye doctor missed the earlier stages of diabetic retinopathy because he wasn't doing certain tests.MORE
Patients Share: Treatments for Diabetes Eye Complications
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes share their experience receiving treatments for diabetes eye complications like retinopathy and macular edema, and how it’s helped save their vision. MORE
We Asked an Ophthalmologist: Who REALLY Needs Eye Exams?
Regardless of your A1c, Kevin Blinder, MD, ophthalmologist explains why everyone with diabetes needs an annual eye exam.MORE
Tiffani’s Story: The Cost of Not Taking My Insulin
Tiffani discusses her life as the recipient of both a kidney and pancreas transplant, losing her eyesight, and why taking your insulin is so important. MORE
My Experience Getting LASIK Eye Surgery as a Person with Diabetes
Ginger Vieira shares her experience getting LASIK eye surgery as a person with type 1 diabetes. Twelve years later, she's still so glad she did it.MOREThis portal on Eye Health was made possible through the ADA x BT1 Collab. To learn more about the importance of eye health for people living with diabetes, check out Focus on Diabetes on ADA’s website.
