Eye problems

K

kathy s

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
My hba1c has been at 38 for over 6 months now. Diabetic eye tests showed no bleeds. However I've had blurred vision for a while. Optician told me I needed new glasses - 10 months after last ones, can't explain why they are changing so much. Also have dry eye and poor tear production. Can it be the diabetes? Shez not sure!
 
kathy s said:
My hba1c has been at 38 for over 6 months now. Diabetic eye tests showed no bleeds. However I've had blurred vision for a while. Optician told me I needed new glasses - 10 months after last ones, can't explain why they are changing so much. Also have dry eye and poor tear production. Can it be the diabetes? Shez not sure!
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Eye problems can be a confusing picture as blurred vision can be caused by both high blood glucose but will also occur when blood glucose reduces quickly. It could be that when you got your glasses 10 months ago your blood glucose was high and it is now reduced so your eyes have changed and your glasses are no longer suitable.
Do you possibly have the start of a cataract as that can make your vision blurry.
Your optician shouldn't have prescribed new glasses if you were recently diagnosed as it is known eyes may change.
 
Looking back through your posts, you were diagnosed in Jun last year with an HbA1c of 87 which is pretty high. If your levels were still quite high when you got your prescription specs 10 months ago, then that might be why they are no longer correct for you, but now that your levels are nicely in the non-diabetic range and stable, it makes sense to get a new prescription that meets your current sight needs. The reason they have changed in 10 months is that your blood glucose levels have come down from quite a high level to a normal level and the eye lens shape and therefore focal length is affected by that glucose change.
 
Echo everything said above but also wanted to ask what you use for your dry eye? My eyes get very blurry if I don’t use my drops regularly. I have Hycosan Extra and aim to put them in 4 or 5 times a day if I remember.

I also got blurred vision as my HbA1c was coming down. This did settle once it was stable. My optician wouldn’t prescribe new specs until it had settled.
 
Hi Kathy, I have just had my eyes checked due to abrupt changes, my bg level have been high though, your not. What the optician did mention to me today was vision can change quickly with diabetes and also with any new meds as well as unstable blood glucose levels. Hope you are keeping your eyes lubricated. I have been on Hylo tear but the doc has prescribed another because of NHS costs, called Aactive HA 0.1% same as Hylo although latter was preservative free.

Maybe get a 2nd opinion with your prescription. Hope things sorted for you soon.
 
I am trying to learn how diabetes affects everything. I no doubt will eventually have a screening. Are dry eyes a recognised downside of diabetes or is it just this what happens to some people. I have been shortsighted since a young child though it was not severe and when I wanted to drive I had an eye test and was told vision not perfect but didn't require glasses. I did need them from my thirties. In 2006 I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and the following year with uveitis. This is inflammation of the eye in my case the front part. No cause has been found but a few years later they checked for diabetes as they can be linked. I self refer to the eye clinic if I have a flare then have steroid eye drops. Many years ago I delayed referring because of a domestic situation and got a macula oedema.

I suspect I have had high blood sugar for a couple of years as last October I noticed my toes were slightly numb at night and I could hardly get on the loo first thing before pee poured out ( not every day) I self referred last May when my vision was very blurry. I remember unusually for the whole month I was exceptionally tired. The Doctor must have seen signs of uveitis but I wonder how much high blood sugar may have played a part. I had an eye test in November with a diopter increase then I went back in February because of my distance vision and she said cataracts were causing me to appear more short sighted another 1 diopter increase. I have trouble working out how blurry my eyesight is. I have varifocals but if I'm reading I don't bother with glasses but hold book a bit closer. My left eye is now weaker than my right so cannot judge. My left eye does seem very blurry. I passed a DVLA eye sight test two weeks before my first high reading. Are my two tests likely to have been affected by my high blood sugar ( first one 69) I asked to be referred for cataract surgery in February as more new glasses would be too much plus as a result of my uveitis my pupils are stuck down and will be unstuck with surgery.

I went for an appointment last week and have obviously made the right decision as the consultant said with pupil stuck and cataract at front of eye it was impossible to see the back of my eye!

However no one mentioned how blood sugars affect the sight. Any idea how stable you need to be with your blood sugar for sight to be stable?
 
Thank you for your replies, I've had a hectic few days! When I was 1st diagnosed the optician refused to change my prescription even though my glasses were not working! After 6 months of my hba1c being 38 he agreed to check and gave me a new prescription in October. And now (hba1c 37) the prescription needs to change again. The blurriness is different from tje prescription. I'm now using preservative free eyedropper, she did say it could be hormonal? I had an eye infection (vial conjunctivitis) 4 months ago and I was given eyedrops( not usual opticians) which were not preservative free, she said this wasn't good. I feel my diabetes is under control, but my vision isn't!
 
Is anyone aware of optic disc swelling found at diabetic eye screening?
 
kathy s said:
Thank you for your replies, I've had a hectic few days! When I was 1st diagnosed the optician refused to change my prescription even though my glasses were not working! After 6 months of my hba1c being 38 he agreed to check and gave me a new prescription in October. And now (hba1c 37) the prescription needs to change again. The blurriness is different from tje prescription. I'm now using preservative free eyedropper, she did say it could be hormonal? I had an eye infection (vial conjunctivitis) 4 months ago and I was given eyedrops( not usual opticians) which were not preservative free, she said this wasn't good. I feel my diabetes is under control, but my vision isn't!
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I would have thought it unlikely that your eyesight would have changed dramatically with just a 1mmol/mol change in HbA1C but eyesight can change naturally at about your age, people tend to become more long sighted if they were previously short sighted or need an astigmatism correction when they hadn't before.
Your optician was right in not changing your prescription soon after diagnosis.
 
Thanks. I've never had dry eyes but was concerned it was one more thing to look out for.
 
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