High blood sugar or diabetes can affect the eyes in several ways. High blood sugar can cause various eye problems like blurry vision, cataract, glaucoma, and retinopathy. Minor problems can be resolved by stabilizing your blood sugar or taking eye drops but in some cases, it can be a sign of a more serious problems.

Also Read | Bone cancer: Signs, risks, and treatment

Here are the main symptoms that could show up if you have diabetes.

Blurred vision

Blurred vision can be a sign of high blood sugar level. Leakage of fluid into the eyes makes the lens swell and change its shape, which makes it hard for the eyes to focus, so things start to look blurred. Insulin treatment can also cause blurred vision due to shifting fluids, but it generally resolves after a few weeks.

Also Read | Is consuming caffeine regularly good or bad for your body?

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy refers to retinal disorders caused by diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy includes four stages. Most people don’t exhibit any symptoms of diabetic retinopathy until it has reached stage 4. Symptoms at this stage include blurred vision, eye floaters, difficulty seeing at night, loss of vision, distorted vision, and colour changes. Diabetic retinopathy cannot be reversed, it can only be stabilized with proper treatment.

Also Read | 5 early symptoms of congestive heart failure

Cataract

Developing a cataract can also cause blurred vision. People with diabetes tend to develop a cataract at a younger age than other adults. A cataract makes the lens of your eyes cloudy.

Symptoms of cataract may include faded colours, clouded vision, double vision, sensitivity to light, glare, or halos around lights.

Also Read | Check out these warning signs for Type 2 diabetes

Hyperglycemia 

When glucose builds up in the blood and the body does not produce enough insulin to process it, it can result in hyperglycemia. Symptoms of hyperglycemia include blurred vision, headache, fatigue, increased thirst, and urination.

Also Read | 5 symptoms of heart failure that can be identified early

Glaucoma

High blood sugar levels put you at the risk of getting glaucoma, a disease in which the pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve. The risk of glaucoma is double that of other adults if a person has diabetes. Symptoms of glaucoma may include blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision or tunnel vision, halo around lights, pain and redness in the eyes, and nausea or vomiting.

Also Read | Suffering from joint pain? These underlying health conditions could be why

Macular edema

The macula is the centre of the retina and gives us sharp central vision. When the macula swells due to leakage of fluid, it causes macular edema. Other symptoms of macular edema include wavy vision and colour changes. 

Also Read | 7 myths about periods you need to STOP believing today

Eyecare 

Diabetes increases the risk of a variety of eye problems. It’s crucial to manage your blood sugar, follow medication and have regular checkups. Consult your doctor about all of your symptoms, as well as the medications you take.