National Eye Health Week

Did you know that blurred eye sight could be a symptom of diabetes?

As part of National Eye Health Week (18 to 24 September), we are raising awareness of why it’s important to have regular eye tests.

One in 15 people in the UK have diabetes, according to charity Diabetes UK. That includes one million people who have Type 2 but have not yet been diagnosed.

There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2, and but there are also others, including gestational diabetes (which affects some women during pregnancy).

Diabetes can affect your eyes in many ways and some people go on to develop an eye complication called diabetic retinopathy. If you don’t get this eye problem treated in time, it can lead to sight loss. A sight test can detect if you may have other conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

All types of diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy, have one thing in common - glucose (sugar) cannot reach the body’s cells properly and builds up in the blood. In the long term, this can cause serious damage to the eyes, heart, feet and kidneys.

If your blood glucose levels and blood pressure are consistently high, you can seriously damage your blood vessels, including those in your eyes.

There are lots of things you can do to keep your blood sugars and your blood pressure in your target range. The more you do this, the lower your risk of developing serious problems with your eyes. 

And if you do begin to develop eye complications, they can nearly always be treated to avoid long term problems - as long as they’re spotted and diagnosed in time.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

  • Blurred eyesight
  • Needing to urinate more often
  • Being very thirsty
  • Cuts are slow to heal
  • Weight loss
  • Feeling tired

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, speak to your GP.

We run a number of services in parts of Essex to help people who have been diagnosed with diabetes and support them to manage their condition. This includes advice and education programmes.

If you live in mid and south Essex, visit the Community Diabetes Service page on our website for more information.

If you live in west Essex, visit the West Essex Community Specialist Diabetes Service pages.

To find out more information about diabetes please visit Diabetes UK

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