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Yes.

You should plan to make regular eye doctor visits when you have diabetes.

High blood sugar can lead to problems like blurry vision, cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy.

In fact, diabetes is the primary cause of blindness in adults ages 20 to 74.

Blurry vision

Do not buy new glasses as soon as you notice that things look blurry. It could just be a small problem caused by high blood sugar. Your lens could swell, which changes your ability to see.

To correct it, you need to get your blood sugar back into the target range (70-130 milligrammes per deciliter, or mg/dL, before meals, and less than 180 mg/dL one to two hours after a meal).

It may take as long as three months for your vision to fully get back to normal.

Cataracts

The natural internal lens of your eye allows your eye to see and focus on an image, just like a camera. When that lens gets cloudy, like a dirty or smudged window, that means a cataract has formed. Anyone can get them, but people with diabetes tend to get them earlier, and they get worse faster. You will need surgery to remove a cataract.

Glaucoma

People with diabetes are more likely to have glaucoma, which can come in several forms or types. Pressure builds up inside your eye when fluid can not drain like it should.

This can damage nerves and blood vessels, and cause changes in vision.

Medications can treat open-angle glaucoma, the most common form. They lower eye pressure, speed up drainage, and reduce the amount of liquid your eye makes.

This type of glaucoma may not cause any symptoms until it is further along and you have major vision loss.

Your doctor can catch it earlier, during an annual exam.

With less common forms of the disease, you might notice:

◆ Headaches

◆ Eye aches or pain

◆ Blurred vision

◆ Watery eyes

◆ Halos around lights

◆ Vision loss

Treatment can include medicine and special eye drops. Surgery and laser treatments can help lower eye pressure. If you have diabetes, you’re also more likely to get a rare condition called neovascular glaucoma. This makes new blood vessels grow on the iris, the coloured part of your eye. They block the normal flow of fluid and raise eye pressure.

The primary treatment of neovascular glaucoma is to reverse the formation of new blood vessels. For this, your doctor may use a laser to reduce the number of blood vessels in the back of the eye, or she may use an anti-VEGF injection, while using other measures to quickly lower the eye pressure.

Diabetic Retinopathy

The retina is a group of cells on the back of your eye that take in light. They turn it into images that the optic nerve sends to your brain.

The need for eye exams

A full yearly check-up can help find problems early, when they’re easier to treat. That could save your vision.

When to call the doctor

These symptoms can signal an emergency:

◆ Black spots in your vision

◆ Flashes of light

◆ “Holes” in your vision

◆ Blurred vision — WebMD.