Beyond Blood Sugar: Prioritizing Eye Wellness for Diabetics

16 Aug, 2023

If your body is improperly processing food as energy, you have diabetes. Once you are tested as a diabetic, your body either does not respond or does not produce insulin. It is a crucial hormone that delivers glucose or blood sugar to the cells. Diabetes can greatly impact your body's functions. Even a simple knife cut on your body can risk your life.

However, the most sensitive part is our eyes. Diabetes gradually impacts your vision, making your dependency on lenses or spectacles. Diabetes can cause three major eye diseases: cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Other could be blurred vision, maculopathy, and proliferative retinopathy.

Statistics related to Eye Disease among Diabetic Patients in the US:

• These patients are at 25 times higher risk of blindness than non-diabetic people.
• Diabetic retinopathy is the ultimate cause of blindness in working-age adults. Cataracts, glaucoma, and other eye disorders happen earlier in diabetic patients.
• By 2050 diabetic retinopathy is projected to affect 16 million diabetic patients.
• Early detection and proper treatment can eliminate 90% of the risk of vision loss caused by diabetes.
• Intensive management of sugar levels can reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy by 27%.

How to Take Care of Your Eyes when Diabetic: 5 Preventive Measures

1. Control your blood sugar

When your blood sugar levels increase, it impacts the shape of your eye lens. As a result, you will start experiencing blurred vision, which normalizes once your glucose levels are in control. High glucose levels can damage eye blood vessels. Hence, maintain your sugar levels by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

• Reduce your intake of calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and salt.
• Avoid beverages, juice, or soda, and drink water.

2. Try plate method

Food is the key to diabetes. Having a balanced diet can maintain your sugar levels.

• Take a plate and fill one-quarter with lean protein—such as tofu, chicken, fish, eggs, or edamame.
• Fill another with a complex carbohydrate. This can be fruit, beans, whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, oats, or starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, peas, or winter squash.
• The remaining half of your plate should include nonstarchy vegetables like spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, okra, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, or leafy greens.

Eating properly throughout the day with nutritional and carbohydrate food is important.

3. Quit smoking

If you are a smoker, you are at high risk of diabetic retinopathy than other diabetic patients. Giving up tobacco can greatly help you save your eyes and lungs. Smoking can be a triggering point for increased sugar levels. Once you say goodbye to this bad habit, you will experience a change in your body.

4. Exercise regularly

Diabetes is more or less a lifestyle problem. Having a healthy lifestyle means exercising regularly. Go on a walk for 45 minutes everyday or exercise for at least 30 minutes. Such positive changes will not only protect your eye from any disease but also maintain your digestion system.

5. Maintain blood pressure and cholesterol levels

Even high blood pressure and cholesterol can trigger sugar levels and impact vision. It is important that you keep both under control to not only save your eye but also your overall health. With a healthy diet, regular workout, and good sleep, you will be able to do so.

Add Nutrients for Better Eye Health

Beyond keeping your glucose level balanced, researchers have also uncovered some nutrients that diabetic patients should include in their daily routines. Let's dive into this:

• Beta Carotene: Beta carotene is the best supplement for vitamin A. It is an amazing antioxidant that can help reduce oxidative stress within the eye. If you overlook this stress, it can damage the retina and worsen your vision. You can find beta carotene in food, mostly orange pigments, like carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, and more.
• Vitamin C and Vitamin E: According to researchers, it is founded that Vitamin C plays a great role in reducing oxidant stress. Vitamin C is available in citrus fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, broccoli, cantaloupe, and Brussels sprouts. Similarly, vitamin E is another powerful oxidant found in peanut butter, vegetable oil, and many other nuts and seeds.
• Zinc and Omega Fatty Acids: Zinc helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress and plays a crucial role in getting vitamin A to the eye. Chicken, oysters, beans, nuts, red meat, fortified breakfast like cereals, dairy products, and whole grains are all great sources of zinc. On the other hand, omega fatty acids also help in the same manner. Walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds are great sources of omega fatty acids.

Bottom Line

Diabetic patients are quite vulnerable to several eye diseases. That's why following the right lifestyle can greatly help you. To ensure a healthy eye, visit a your primary care physician to check your sugar levels (hemoglobin A1C) and to get a referral for a diabetic eye exam.

CVMedPro has an extensive network of healthcare providers like physicians for diabetes and ophthalmologists for eye checkups. To know more, get in touch with our team. Call us at 866-423-0060 or visit our website – www.cvmedpro.com