This Morning: Type 2 diabetes can be 'devastating' says expert
Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high. Blood sugar levels rise due to a dysfunction in the way insulin, a hormone that regulates high blood sugar, is released. If the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body’s cells do not react to insulin, blood sugar levels have free rein, and this could cause a harrowing effect to one’s eyes. Experiencing either blurred vision or floaters could mean your blood sugar levels are too high.
Type 2 diabetes could be caused by the body not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the body not reacting to insulin.
Without enough of the hormone, the body struggles to convert sugar in the blood into usable energy.
It’s crucial that if you think you may have diabetes, you speak to a doctor as soon as possible.
You may be at risk of the condition if you notice some changes to your vision.
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According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms of chronic high blood sugar levels can show up in the eyes when blood sugar damages the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).
This is known as diabetic retinopathy.
As the health site explains, you might not have symptoms in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy.
“Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes,” it adds.
According to the NHS, these symptoms don’t necessarily mean you have diabetic retinopathy, but it’s important to get them checked out.
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Blurred vision
Blurred vision is one of the earliest warning signs of diabetes, warned Specsavers’ clinical spokesman, Dr Nigel Best.
Those most at risk are people whose vision swaps between blurry and perfectly normal.
It’s caused by blood sugar levels being unstable, Best exclusively told Express.co.uk.
“Fluctuating blurred vision is the main symptom people with diabetes get in their eyes,” he said.
“People may find that one day they have blurred vision but another day they can see perfectly fine, this is down to their sugar levels not being stable.”
Blurred vision is also a warning sign of diabetic retinopathy, a complication caused by damage to the blood vessels at the back of the eye.
Floaters in eyes
Diabetic retinopathy is blood vessel damage in the retina that happens as a result of diabetes.
Diabetic retinopathy can cause a range of symptoms, including blurred vision, difficulty seeing colours, and eye floaters.
Without treatment, it can cause vision loss.
Diabetes patients are more at risk of developing blurred vision and changes to the eyes, according to Ophthalmic Consultants of London’s retinal surgeon, Mr Shahram Kashani.
When the condition is advanced, it can cause abnormal blood vessels to develop at the back of the eye.
These can lead to a number of complications, including floaters.
Floaters are dark spots in your vision that may appear as black or grey specks or strings.
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