An optometrist has revealed a warning sign of diabetes that strikes in your eyes. The blood sugar condition is often difficult to spot because the problem that drives symptoms – high blood sugar levels – is reluctant to rear its ugly head.
When first signs do appear, they often tend to be general, leaving patients unaware that something is wrong, according to the NHS. This makes symptoms awareness crucial.
According to Optometrist Francesca Marchetti, from dry eye treatment Rohto Dry Aid, around 54 percent of people with diabetes suffer from dry eye disease. She said: “Dry eye occurs when tears are unable to provide enough lubrication for the eye.
“The tear film is complex and consists of several layers. Diabetes affects the function of the lacrimal glands that produce the watery part of the tears and also affects the oil glands under the eye lids which produce the oil part of the tear film that prevents the tears evaporating too fast.
“Insulin plays a key role in tear production with a lack of insulin or insulin resistance (signs of diabetes) leading to reduced tear production. High blood glucose in uncontrolled diabetes damages the blood vessels and nerves in the eyes, which can reduce blood flow to the eye surface, reduced production of tears and decreased ability of the tears to stick to the surface of the eyes.”
All of these processes can lead to dry eye. According to the expert, diabetes can be one of the key causes and most likely to cause dry eye if your blood glucose is poorly controlled.
Worryingly, a new report by Rohto Dry Aid – Look Around: The Potentially Devastating Consequence Of Dry Eye Disease – found as many as half of Britons have never heard of the eye problem.
Marchetti explained that awareness of dry eye is crucial as once identified, dry eye must be treated fast as it can before severe damage to the eye, eventually leading to blindness, occurs.
The expert said: “If you have diabetes, always have the recommended checks at your optician. The optician can also confirm that you have dry eye disease.”
If you get diagnosed with dry eye disease, she recommended opting for Rohto Dry Aid – a scientifically backed eye drop treatment for both types of Dry Eye Disease that provides fast soothing relief for up to 12 hours.
While dry eyes could ring alarm bells, there are also other diabetes symptoms worth knowing about.
The NHS recommends looking out for the following tell-tale signs:
- Feeling very thirsty
- Peeing more frequently than usual (particularly at night)
- Feeling very tired
- Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
- Itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
- Blurred vision.
You should visit your GP “as soon as possible” if you experience the main symptoms of diabetes, according to the health body.