Eye Health & Diabetes – Protecting Vision for Life

Published by the Primary Health Awareness Trust

Diabetes doesn’t just affect your blood sugar — it can silently damage the tiny blood vessels at the back of your eyes.
This condition, known as diabetic retinopathy, is one of the leading causes of preventable sight loss in adults over 60 in the UK.

The good news? With regular eye checks and smart daily habits, you can protect your vision for life — even if you’ve lived with diabetes for years.

🩺 What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

High blood sugar can damage the delicate blood vessels in the retina — the part of your eye that senses light.
Over time, these vessels may leak, swell, or grow abnormally, affecting your vision. This is called retinopathy.

Key stages of diabetic eye disease:

• Background retinopathy: Small changes that often cause no symptoms
• Pre-proliferative: More severe damage but still without obvious symptoms
• Proliferative retinopathy: Risk of serious vision loss without treatment
• Maculopathy: Affects the central part of your vision

👁️ Symptoms of Retinopathy

Many people notice no symptoms until the condition is advanced — that’s why screening is vital.

Possible warning signs:

• Blurred or patchy vision
• Floaters or dark spots in your view
• Poor night vision
• Sudden vision loss in one eye (seek urgent help)

🧪 NHS Eye Screening: Your Best Line of Defence

If you have diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2), you are entitled to free annual diabetic eye screening through the NHS.

This involves:

• Special retinal photography (no pain)
• Drops to widen your pupils (may cause blurred vision temporarily)
• Results are sent to you and your GP

Even if your sight feels fine, this test can detect hidden damage early — before symptoms appear.

✅ How to Protect Your Eyes If You Have Diabetes

The way you manage your overall health affects your eyes directly. Here’s how to protect them:

• Keep your blood sugar in range (HbA1c < 48 mmol/mol if advised)
• Control blood pressure and cholesterol
• Eat eye-supportive foods: spinach, kale, oily fish, nuts, and berries
• Don’t smoke – it speeds up blood vessel damage
• Stay active – gentle exercise helps circulation and sugar levels
• Attend all eye and diabetes check-ups

💬 Managing Worry About Vision Loss

It’s normal to feel anxious if you’ve been told you have retinopathy. But please know: many people live full, independent lives with early or moderate eye damage. The key is acting early.

Our community Zoom classes and printable toolkits can help build confidence and calm.

🔁 Next in the Series:
Nutrition for Healthy Eyes – What Science Really Shows