High blood sugar levels can restrict the amount of blood that flows to the vessels in your eyes, causing those vessels to leak, swell, and close. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy, one of the most common diabetic diseases affecting 500,000 Canadians.

As diabetic retinopathy progresses, it can cause vision changes or blindness. There are ways to treat diabetic retinopathy, but the best way to prevent diabetic retinopathy is with regular eye exams..

Prolonged diabetic retinopathy can lead to macular edema. This disease affects your macula, which is responsible for providing clear central vision. Fluid buildup inside of your eye can cause wavy or blurred vision.

At Dr. Bruce Coward & Associates, we use OCT as it is one of the best tools for detecting diabetic macular edema.

Unmanaged high blood sugar can cause the pressure inside of your eyes to rise, increasing your risk of developing glaucoma. This eye disease is sometimes referred to as the “silent thief of sight” because it begins by impacting your peripheral vision and can sometimes go unnoticed. Glaucoma progression can be slowed Glaucoma progression can be slowed with medicated eye drops, but this damage is irreversible if causes vision loss.

Cataracts cause the crystalline lens of your eye to become cloudy, covering your otherwise clear vision with a haze. Those who have diabetes are at a higher risk of developing cataracts at a younger age. Optometrists can usually mitigate the effects of cataracts with stronger prescription eyewear, but as the cataracts progress, you may eventually require cataract surgery to correct the issue.