How Your Vision Care Plan Changes After a Diabetes Diagnosis

Diabetes affects roughly 10 percent of the population here in the United States. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you can expect your vision care plan to change in a few noteworthy ways.

More Frequent Eye Exams

For most healthy adults, medical professionals agree that getting an eye exam every one or two years will suffice to keep close tabs on eye health. However, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it is recommended that you have your eyes examined every year, and possibly more if you have vision problems. Because 1 in 5 people with diabetes does develop some kind of issue with their vision or eyes, keeping a closer watch on your eye health will be important. As an adage, anyone who has diabetes and gets pregnant should have their eyes checked during the first three months of pregnancy and then again around 12 months after the baby is born.

In-Depth Examinations to Look for Signs of Vision Problems

Most eye doctors perform a comprehensive eye exam regardless of whether you have diabetes or not. However, if you do have diabetes, the doctor will be looking for signs of certain diseases, retinal changes, and other issues that are prevalent among people with diabetes. For example, you will get a dilated eye exam, which means special drops will be put into your eyes to force pupil dilation, so the eye doctor can examine the back structures of your eye more closely.

Your Eye Doctor Will Be Asking About Diabetes Control

Most general eye exams will involve some discussion of your current health status, as your overall health affects your eye health. However, when you have diabetes, the eye doctor will also be interested in how well your diabetes is being controlled. They may ask questions like:

• If you are taking medications for diabetes management
• How often you are checking your blood sugar levels
• What your latest results were from an A1C blood test

These questions can give the doctor further insight into what problems you may be experiencing with your vision that are related to your blood sugar levels.

Talk to a Coldwater Eye Doctor About Visual Health and Diabetes

The better you take care of your vision with diabetes, the less likely it will be that you develop problems. If you have diabetes and need help with visual health, reach out to us at Coldwater Vision Center in Coldwater, MS to schedule an appointment.