Eye problems - diabetes related?

Catsymoo

Well-Known Member
Messages
297
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
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Having diabetes
Hey guys,

I'm 31 and I've had type 1 since 2012 so this year will be my 9th year with diabetes. My control started out amazing but has slowly gone downhill since 2018 and I would say it's in the yellow zone, not great but not terrible. My sugars run in the low mid teens most the time despite being on a low carb diet, the last few days I've had some high 20s readings due to having my period and going back on the pill. I have never had any complications, and my last eye test at the end of 2019 was all in the clear. The last 9 months or so I have noticed that on and off, I am having some issues with my eyes. I have booked an eye test for next Monday but wondering if any other diabetics out there with eye issues can shed some light.

I need to start out by saying that I hate summer, I hate sunlight and I am somewhat of a vampire in that I barely go outside and spend most of my time playing video games in front of screens and I work at a computer too. I have prescribed distance glasses that I wear sometimes, and I bought some reading/anti blue light glasses for my computer screen and work and they did resolve/ease the issue I was having last June. It is very hard to explain, but my eyes feel uncomfortable during daylight hours, specifically in this room when I sit at my computer. Even with my computer glasses on, I can't focus on the text on the screen and it hurts my eyes. Almost like when you look at the sun, and then look away and your eyes feel weird. The symptoms get better as the sun goes down, and I have noticed that contact lenses no longer stick to my eyes, which indicates my eyes may be extremely dry. I use eye drops and they do help a little first thing in the morning, but I am getting more headaches and it seems to get worse when I have to read text like as I am typing this. It's very hard to focus and I lose track of what I am trying to type or say.

It could very well just be dry eyes/computer eye strain, as I don't really have problems when I go outside. I don't like the sunlight but it doesn't feel as bad as trying to focus on text on a screen. It gives me brain fog and makes me REALLY irritable, like I want to hide in a dark room until the sun goes away. My biggest fear is cataracts or diabetic eye issues. Now that spring is here and it is really sunny today, I am really suffering today and had to buy some blackout curtains so I can work without feeling like my eyes have completely dried out.
 

searley

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
1,880
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
Diabetes, not having Jaffa Cake
Best thing todo is see an optician.. vision express can photo the back of your eyes looking for damage along with general eye tests

Discuss your issues and they can advise… I had issues for a while and they gave eye drops which sorted it

All sorts can cause eye issues so best get it sorted before it has a chance to get worse
 
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donnellysdogs

Master
Messages
13,233
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
People that can't listen to other people's opinions.
People that can't say sorry.
See optician but with your bloods running in the low mid teens, that will not help your eyes at all.