Eyesight

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JaneyCC

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Type 2
Any help appreciated. I was diagnosed with high BG about 6 weeks ago (98). One of my symptoms was blurred vision. Once I started a low carb diet my eyesight reverted to normal but since starting Metformin and reducing the carbs a bit more I now have generally blurred vision and have to use my reading glasses to sharpen things up. I have spoken to my NHS diabetic nurse who said it was ‘a bit of a mystery’ ‍♀️and advised me to go to my optician. The optician told me I needed to get my diabetes under control before going for eye screening as the results would be skewed by this. I am testing regularly and my BG is steadily coming down (fasting mmol this morning 8.3). Feeling immensely stressed!!
NB I was diagnosed last year but with very low levels. I have had diabetic eye screen toward the end of last year and a full eye screen at my optician in Feb this year, both of which showed no eye issues.
Thank you in advance
 
High blood sugar changes the shape of the lens and leads to blurred vision.
I'm guessing if it's 8.3 when you fast, post meal it's higher and these levels may be causing some blurring.
 
JaneyCC said:
I have spoken to my NHS diabetic nurse who said it was ‘a bit of a mystery’ ‍♀️and advised me to go to my optician. The optician told me I needed to get my diabetes under control before going for eye screening as the results would be skewed by this.
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@JaneyCC if that NHS diabetic nurse is the nurse at your GP's Surgery who routinely has the overall responsibility for T2 patients within the Practice, rather than a hospital based Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN), then it is disappointing that this nurse should regard changing eyesight in connection with diabetes as a mystery. But it was good advice to direct you towards your optician, since they have the expertise to understand that your blurred vision could be a consequence of changed Blood Glucose (BG) thus changed eyeball salinity and thus changed prescription - normally a temporary situation. But if the optician didn't even examine you then they should have, just to be sure your blurred vision is not being caused by something other than diabetes.

However, while (sadly) it is not overly surprising that a surgery diabetes nurse should consider this to be a mystery and that nurse not understand that there are good simple relationships between changing BG and vision - it does reflect how little a so-called Surgery diabetes nurse actually understands about diabetes. A medical "mystery" is something we lay people encounter and not something Health Care Professionals (HCPs) should casually diagnose! Certainly not without that nurse at least checking with a GP in the Practice and/or doing a certain amount of detective work. That apparentl laziness on the part of an HCP is not just disappointing but potentially a lot more serious. If I experienced that I would register my concern with someone within the Practice, in writing. Perhaps with the Practice Manager or the senior GP in the Practice. I know that GPs feel they are overstretched and hard pressed, but it does sound as though whoever that HCP works for they need basic refresher training - at least.

Rant over, I hope your eyesight settles down in coming weeks and all of this is just a consequence of changing BG. If you've had high BG for a long time, it could be that your eye prescription will need changing once your BG has settled to a lower level. Good luck.
 
Proud to be erratic said:
@JaneyCC if that NHS diabetic nurse is the nurse at your GP's Surgery who routinely has the overall responsibility for T2 patients within the Practice, rather than a hospital based Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN), then it is disappointing that this nurse should regard changing eyesight in connection with diabetes as a mystery. But it was good advice to direct you towards your optician, since they have the expertise to understand that your blurred vision could be a consequence of changed Blood Glucose (BG) thus changed eyeball salinity and thus changed prescription - normally a temporary situation. But if the optician didn't even examine you then they should have, just to be sure your blurred vision is not being caused by something other than diabetes.

However, while (sadly) it is not overly surprising that a surgery diabetes nurse should consider this to be a mystery and that nurse not understand that there are good simple relationships between changing BG and vision - it does reflect how little a so-called Surgery diabetes nurse actually understands about diabetes. A medical "mystery" is something we lay people encounter and not something Health Care Professionals (HCPs) should casually diagnose! Certainly not without that nurse at least checking with a GP in the Practice and/or doing a certain amount of detective work. That apparentl laziness on the part of an HCP is not just disappointing but potentially a lot more serious. If I experienced that I would register my concern with someone within the Practice, in writing. Perhaps with the Practice Manager or the senior GP in the Practice. I know that GPs feel they are overstretched and hard pressed, but it does sound as though whoever that HCP works for they need basic refresher training - at least.

Rant over, I hope your eyesight settles down in coming weeks and all of this is just a consequence of changing BG. If you've had high BG for a long time, it could be that your eye prescription will need changing once your BG has settled to a lower level. Good luck.
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Thank you so much for your reply. I have felt so stressed and isolated about it. I have insisted that I see the senior diabetic nurse at the surgery now and have made an appointment with my optician. Thank you again
 
harbottle said:
High blood sugar changes the shape of the lens and leads to blurred vision.
I'm guessing if it's 8.3 when you fast, post meal it's higher and these levels may be causing some blurring.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your reply. I’m starting to feel a little more reassured now
 
So pleased you feel reassured. It is a very common issue that many of us experienced, particularly those of us with very high HbA1c results at diagnosis because the medication and change of diet can drop levels quite quickly and the eyes struggle to cope with those sudden changes. It usually takes 2-3 months to resolve and many of us relied on ready readers from the pound shop in the interim period because things are changing all the time during that time so even if you wanted to spend money on prescription glasses, the prescription wouldn't be correct for long, so it is a question of muddling along until things stabilize. Your nurse should know this. Mine told me to wait at least 3 months before getting my eyes tested for it to settle down.
Just to confirm how common it is, there was another post from a newbie on the same subject just a few hours earlier.
 
Hi @JaneyCC

As above blurred vision is a common symptom around the time of a diabetes diagnosis and until blood glucose starts to stabilise.

This is a list of common symptoms of diabetes from the Diabetes UK site. Some of the symptoms listed are more specific to Type 1 but blurred eyesight is a general symptom of all types of diabetes.

Diabetes symptoms​

  • Toilet - going for a wee a lot, especially at night.
  • Thirsty - being really thirsty.
  • Tired - feeling more tired than usual.
  • Thinner - losing weight without trying to.
  • Genital itching or thrush.
  • Cuts and wounds take longer to heal.
  • Blurred eyesight
  • Increased hunger.
Reducing your glucose steadily is the kindest way on the body and lets eyesight adjust more gently.
 
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I had not noticed any problem with my eyes when I was diagnosed (HbA1C 50mmol/mol) but as I went on a low carb dietary regime my blood glucose started to come down that is when I got problems with my eyes, blurred near vision. I only found out by reading here that it could be an issue when blood glucose starts to drop quickly, as the eye environment changes for sugary to salty (normal) so the shape can change and alter the focal length. Your optician is good in not suggesting a change in prescription until your eyes settle. Mine did take several months but for many it is quicker than that.
 
It’s easy for me to say but try not to worry too much. When I was first diagnosed my HbA1c was 96 and I had just started to experience blurred vision. Going low carb started to correct this but I’ve still had some periods of blurred vision over the last few months. I’m not expecting it to totally go away until my BG levels have been stable for a while.

That said, definitely go and see your optician just to make doubly sure it is the diabetes and not anything else.
 
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