“High blood sugar levels can cause the lens of your eye to swell, which as a result can cause your vision to become distorted,” said Patel.
Thus, if you begin to notice “wavy” vision, it could be a sign that you have developed type 2 diabetes.
Another potential sign of the condition is developing blurred vision, Patel stated.
“Diabetes can cause blurred vision, both in the short and long term,” he elaborated.
In the short-term, fluid can move in and out of the eye due to high blood sugar levels, causing the lens to swell (hence the blurry vision).
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As for long-term blurriness, uncontrolled diabetes can cause damage to the small blood vessels in the eyes.
“As a result, the retina is affected causing you to experience blurred vision,” Patel added.
Also, be on the lookout for any floaters in the eyes that appear as “white or translucent visual blockers that come and go, and move around within your vision”.
Patel explained: “These floaters can often be a symptom of a more serious diabetic-related eye condition, such as diabetic retinopathy.”
Do seek medical advice if you notice that you are experiencing changes in the colours you can see.
Patel said: “Colour vision loss is known to impact the vision of people with diabetes.
“It is particularly known to affect blue-yellow colour vision and worsens with the severity of other related diabetes eye conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy.”
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes UK warned the condition, over time, can result in blindness as the blood vessels in the eye become more and more damaged by high blood sugars.
Any vision loss, in general, should be checked out as uncontrolled diabetes, over time, can lead to diabetic retinopathy that can result in permanent vision loss.
“It’s important to note that if your blood sugar levels are managed, you can slow down and reduce the severity of its impact on your vision,” added Patel.
Thus, if you suspect you have type 2 diabetes, do request a blood test for the condition from your doctor.
Five signs of diabetes you can see with your eyes:
- Wavy vision
- Colour vision loss
- Vision loss
- Blurred vision
- Floaters
Roshni Patel is an expert optometrist and eye specialist at Lenstore.
