Having diabetes impacts more than what you can eat; it has a direct impact on various elements of your health, from your feet to your eyes. When you have diabetes, you have to be more vigilant when it comes to taking care of your overall health needs. With diabetes, you have an increased risk for developing a variety of eye diseases as well. Luckily, with the right steps, these risks can be reduced.

Take Care of Your Blood Sugar

Your blog sugar impacts your entire body. When your blood sugar reaches a level that is too high, you can experience serious health issues beyond feeling under the weather or fainting. High glucose levels can cause damage to your eyes in a variety of ways. To start with, high blood sugar can cause your vision to look blurry due to the shape of your lens being impacted by your glucose levels. Over the long term, not controlling your blood sugar will damage the blood vessels in your eyes and can lead to serious vision complications. If you value your eyesight, keep your blood sugar under control.

Pay Attention to Your Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels

You need to also pay attention to your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels. Your eyes have blood vessels in them, and high blood pressure impacts your vision. High cholesterol is connected to high blood pressure and can also damage your arteries.

Cholesterol is not something you have to monitor on a daily basis like your blood pressure. When you go to your doctor for a check-up though, you should have both your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels checked. If either is high, then take steps to adjust your diet and lifestyle to bring your blood pressure and cholesterol levels down in ways that don't impact your blood sugar levels.

Visit Your Eye Doctor Once a Year

Finally, you need to see your eye doctor at least once a year. When you have diabetes, missing an annual eye inspection is not an option. With an annual eye inspection, your eye doctor will be able to identify warning signs early on and help you engage in preventative steps to protect your eyesight from complications. Many complications from diabetes can only be seen early on by using the advanced equipment your eye doctor has; by the time the damage is noticeable to you, the damage is permanent. By visiting your eye doctor on a yearly basis, they will be able to monitor the health of your eyes and help you preserve your vision. Be sure to let your eye doctor know you have diabetes because this will assist them with their examination and care of you.

When it comes to managing diabetes and your eyes, taking care of your blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels, and cholesterol levels are three keys to a healthy life. You need to find an eye doctor you like and work with them to maintain the health of your eyes.

For more information, contact a company like Northwest Ophthalmology.