Vision...

[Jenni_1984]

Hi,

I'm looking for a wee bit of advice or maybe reassurance ahead of an opticians visit tomorrow.

I've been type 1 for 20 years and maintain decent control - last HBA1c 7.1 in October and this is the norm for me. I also wear contact lenses for short sightedness. Since yesterday afternoon I've noticed a difference in my ability to focus on a computer screen and also reading things on a white background. The only thing I can liken this to is when I have a bad hypo and my vision starts to go blurry. It is exactly the same way as if I'd rubbed my eyes quite hard and there's that few minutes where your eyes are readjusting.

It's not impossible to focus on a computer screen - as you can imagine since I am writing this, however it does feel somewhat uncomfortable. Unfortunately I have been staying away from home the past couple of nights and my meter and blood testing kit are there, however I did have a hypo last night. I know a lot of people scoff at the notion that a person can tell if their blood sugar is high or low just through feeling, but I've lived with the illness long enough to know that my sugar level is neither high nor low.

Can anyone offer any opinion? I am visiting my opticians tomorrow and have a routine appointment with my consultant in a few weeks time. My contact lenses are a fresh pair and my distance vision is absolutely fine.

Many thanks,

Jenni

 

[Debloubed]

hi Jenni, quick question, why is your blood testing gear not with you?! I used to think like you, that I could tell if I was high or low but no one can do that, or certainly not to the degree that you can 'safely' predict a hypo or a major high. as a type 1 you have a duty of care to yourself to take your blood testing kit with you everywhere you go! I trust you take your insulin with you? Just sling your testing gear in the same bag and problem solved

blurred vision is a symptom of high and low BG. you can't know which one for sure without testing so that should be your first stop. Then your opticians if it doesn't get any better.

All the best

 

[kegstore]

Jenni

Wise words from Deb, take it from someone who also used to think like you regarding "knowing" what their blood sugar is, but now has zero hypo awareness. I absolutely cannot tell the difference between 4 and 24. There is no substitute for regular testing, even with my fancy gadgets!

It's also possible that your eyesight has changed because that's just what it does sometimes. I've been wearing glasses for 20 years and still need a new prescription every few years or so. Vision is not a fixed thing.

ps I'm still surprised to hear of T1 diabetics wearing contact lenses, I've always been told this isn't a good idea for us afflicted types?!

 

[Jenni_1984]

Hi there,

Thanks for taking the time to reply to me I appreciate your comments.

I was hoping more to see if someone had experienced something similar...

Hypo awareness - to me - is fundamental. I think it's very difficult to put yourself in someone else's shoes, unless you have experienced what they have. Just because I have good hypo awareness, as well as knowing the signs when my sugar level is high, I would never doubt anyone who said they couldn't and I would never say to a diabetic who had taken unwell - "how could you not tell you were running low?".

As for contact lenses I have worn mine now for 12 years. If I can remember back to when I was finding out about them I'm sure so long as they are the soft kind then they do no harm to diabetics. I've certainly never had problems and I see my diabetic consultant and optician regularly.

Thanks again for posting back to me,

Jenni

 

[Debloubed]

I too wear lenses and used to wear the hard 'gas permeable' variety, so they are defo ok for us inflicted types :lol: have moved onto daily disposables now but have been wearing lenses for over 25 years, longer than I've been diabetic 8) no vision probs though other than being majorly short sighted, astigmatism and some background retinopathy 2 years ago which I've since corrected - phew!