Controlling Blood Sugar Could Be Key to Maintaining Healthy Vision

It’s really easy to compartmentalize health. Looking at a specific issue and isolating it from another is natural if you think about it.

Doctors treat specific conditions.

You read articles about exercising for heart health. And really, what could blood sugar possibly have to do with your eyes?

But the truth is that health is largely holistic. One area can easily impact another. Blood sugar can influence vision, liver health, heart health, and more. By extension, it can boost the risk for dementia.

Even stress and poor sleep can elicit physical symptoms.

Unchecked blood sugar that results in diabetes can eventually lead to vision loss. So, if you want to protect your eyes as you get older and continue to enjoy the sights that light up your life, it’s recommended to keep blood sugar under control with diet, exercise, and paying attention to overall eye health.

Diabetic retinopathy, or DR, is a common complication of diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is the leading cause of blindness in American adults.

It is caused by gradual damage to blood vessels in the retina, which is the tissue at the rear of the eye that’s needed for good vision.

To prevent vision loss attributed to DR, managing diabetes and blood sugar is essential. As is regular trips to the eye doctor.

Overall diet can help with blood sugar control and vision. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables that offers a variety of nutrients and antioxidants can simultaneously deliver the compounds required for healthy eyes and lower blood sugar.

On the other hand, processed foods, sugary snacks, and refined grains can deteriorate your health from head to toe.

Many health conditions are closely connected and do not act in isolation from each other. Focusing on overall health is your best bet for healthy eyes and good vision in advanced age.