• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Diabetes and the eyes

Keister

Member
Messages
10
Location
Gillingham
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all,
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 11 days ago with a fasting glucose level of 13.2 and had a finger test done which was 14.3. The only symptoms I had a the time were migraine headaches and a thirst.

The doctor has put me on Metformin, firstly at 500mg but now up to 1000mg per day with diet and exercise. I have managed to lose 8lb in weight in this time.

Can I ask if it's normal for my eye sight to deteriorate since being diagnosed and taking the tablets and will it get better once my diabetes gets under control?
The reason I ask is for the last 5 days my near vision has become very blurred and I'm having trouble reading and using a computer because of it. My distance vision is fine though.
 
This is quite common. James had blurred vision for two or three weeks, when his blood sugars came down. It meant he couldn't drive. Don't panic, though. As long as you get those sugar levels down, and keep them there, everything will be fine. In fact life may turn out to be better than it has been for some time.
Have a look at Low Carb diets, this forum and the internet in general is packed with information. Low carb is the very best way to keep sugar levels down and may mean that meds aren't necessary.
Sally
 
High bg levels can make the lens of the eyes swell which in turn leads to blurry vision, once your bg levels return to normal you should see an improvement, if not then have your eyes checked.
 
Yes, don't worry, if you are getting your BG down as this is happening, then the blurring is your eyes returning to normal. This is all good: nothing to fear. As Noblehead says, it's just temporary, reversible changes to the shape of the lenses.

I had just spent hundreds of pounds on four sets of work and sunglasses when I was diagnosed. Within a week my vision was changing noticeably every day. Every day I had to sit further back from my computer. For six weeks or so I didn't even need distance glasses! Then they settled down. Specsavers are redoing the glasses.

Good luck, don't worry, just get and keep those numbers down.
 
Hi hon. When my levels were higher I was okay, BUT when I first started my Glimepiride four months ago my sight was scary. Long vision went out of focus, had to wear my reading specs for tv and hubby's for reading. I had to go to eye A&E and was sent by GP. Faces up close were blurred too.
Scary stuff but all was okay and due to the sudden drop in BG caused by meds. It lasted about three weeks then as if by magic cleared up again.
I did go to optician first to check all okay but once they said it was GP sent me to specialist just in case.
I would get an eye check at specsavers or somewhere like that and if okay see GP again.
Good luck....xx
 
Btw opticians won't be able to tell you a thing. This is diabetes - it's your blood sugar. No point getting glasses now as your vision will change day to day.
 
Back
Top