Did you know? Diabetes can be discovered by your optometrist. One of the early signs of diabetes is retinopathy, a condition that affects the retina and can affect eyesight. If diabetes runs in your family or if you’re otherwise genetically at risk for diabetes, you should mention it to your optometrist. Of course, making regular appointments with your optometrist, especially after age 65, is extremely important to catch early signs of diabetes and other degenerative eye conditions.

So, what is diabetic retinopathy?

People with both type 1 and type 2 and gestational diabetes are at risk for developing this degenerative condition that affects the retinas. The blood vessels that feed the tissue and nerve cells are slowly damaged, lowering blood flow to crucial areas of the eye.

Using our expertise and technology, we can capture an image of the retina and look for signs of swelling, damage, or even macular degeneration and glaucoma.

Another telltale sign of diabetes? Cataracts.

Changes to blood sugar levels that commonly occur when you are diabetic can make it much more likely that a specific type of cataract will develop.

Here are our top tips to prevent developing diabetes and diabetic retinopathy or other related eye disease:

Eat eye healthy. Make sure your diet is rich in Omega 3s and fatty acids, plus some vitamin A.

Keep your exercise level up! This can be difficult in a pandemic with gyms closed and less options for getting out of the house, but even taking a walk around your neighbourhood or trying some virtual yoga at home can help.

And of course, always ensure you’re getting your yearly eye exam, especially if you’re in a high risk group for diabetes or other disease.