Diabetes and Eye Health

 2021-05-21

Taking good care of your eyes is especially important for people with type 2 diabetes. No matter what your blood sugar levels or A1c is, we all need annual eye exams to help us prevent eye complications and treat them as soon as possible to protect our vision.

Learn everything you need to know about how diabetes can impact your eyes, and what you can do to keep them healthy!

Eye Health Basics

annual diabetes eye exam

Why You Should Schedule Your Annual Diabetes Eye Exam


Your annual diabetes eye exam is the best way to protect your vision from diabetes-related eye complications.MORE
annual diabetes eye exam

What to Expect at Your Annual Diabetes Eye Exam


Painless and non-invasive, your annual diabetes eye exam will be looking for signs of these five eye conditions...MORE
OPTOMETRIST vs. OPHTHALMOLOGISTS vs. OPTICIAN

What’s the Difference: Ophthalmologist vs. Optometrist vs. Optician


Regular appointments with eye specialists are the best way to protect your eyes and your vision from diabetes complications.MORE
what is 20/20 vision?

What does 20/20 vision mean?


The vision test you’ve probably been doing since you were 3 years old is called “visual acuity testing” and it determines whether your vision is 20/20 or something else.MORE

Protecting Your Eyes as a Person of Color with Diabetes


Dr. Kristen Nwanyanwu is working to improve eye care and diabetes education provided to people of color with diabetes.MORE
lasik eye surgery

Can People with Diabetes Get LASIK Eye Surgery?


Have you heard rumors that you can’t get LASIK while living with diabetes? SPOILER: They’re not true! Learn more about getting LASIK...MORE

Tips to Protect Your Eyes

computer vision syndrome and blue light

Computer Screens + Blue Light: What Screen Time Can Do to Your Eyes


65% of Americans report experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain, also referred to as “computer vision syndrome”.MORE

Which Sunglasses are Best for People with Diabetes?


You probably know that UVA and UVB light can both damage your skin -- increasing your risk of skin cancer -- but it’s important to protect your eyes from UV light, too.MORE

Eye Complications

dry eyes with diabetes

All About “Dry Eye” with Diabetes


One of the most common yet rarely talked about eye conditions in people with diabetes is “dry eye,” it affects approximately 54 percent of people with diabetes.MORE
diabetic retinopathy

All About Diabetic Retinopathy


Retinopathy is one of the most common and most serious diabetes-related eye complications. It’s actually the leading cause of preventable blindness.MORE
diabetic macular edema

All About Diabetic Macular Edema


Diabetic macular edema (DME) is extremely common in people with diabetic retinopathy. These two eye conditions are the leading cause of blindness in developed countries across the globe.MORE
cataracts in people with diabetes

All About Cataracts in People with Diabetes


For people with diabetes, chronically high blood sugar levels can affect the wellbeing of your lenses and lead to cataracts.MORE
glaucoma in people with diabetes

All About Glaucoma in People with Diabetes


People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma compared to the non-diabetic population, but you can take steps to reduce your risk.MORE
floaters in your vision

Floaters in Your Vision: When Should You Be Concerned?


Floaters are very common in people with diabetes who have developed diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema.MORE

Personal Stories

Patients Share: Treatments for Diabetes Eye Complications

Patients Share: Treatments for Diabetes Eye Complications


People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes share their experience receiving treatments for diabetes eye complications like retinopathy and macular edema, and how it’s helped save their vision. MORE
expert interview diabetes eye health

We Asked an Ophthalmologist: Who REALLY Needs Eye Exams?


Regardless of your A1c, Kevin Blinder, MD, ophthalmologist explains why everyone with diabetes needs an annual eye exam.MORE
getting lasik eye surgery with diabetes

My Experience Getting LASIK Eye Surgery as a Person with Diabetes


Ginger Vieira shares her experience getting LASIK eye surgery as a person with type 1 diabetes. Twelve years later, she's still so glad she did it.MORE

 


This portal on Eye Health was made possible through the ADA x BT1 Collab. To learn more about the importance of eye health for people living with diabetes, check out Focus on Diabetes on ADA’s website.