The importance of eye health

It was once thought that just about everyone with diabetes would eventually develop complications of the disease, such as nerve damage, foot problems and vision problems. That's simply not true. As these guidelines will show, by keeping your blood sugar in the normal range, you can slash your risk of these health problems and live a healthy life, like anyone else.

Be extra alert to changes in your eyesight. It's easy to dismiss subtle differences in your vision as minor annoyances, but when you have diabetes, you can't assume you need a new eyeglass prescription or that your eyes are just getting "old."

Granted, those may be possibilities — and high or low fluctuations in blood sugar can temporarily affect your vision as well. But you should still call your primary care physician or a doctor who specializes in the eyes — an ophthalmologist, not an optometrist — right away if:

• Your eyesight seems blurry.
• You experience double vision.
• Your vision becomes distorted or if straight lines, such as telephone poles, look warped.
• Spots or lines seem to float in front of your eyes.
• Your field of vision seems narrower.
• You have more difficulty seeing clearly in dim light.
• It seems as though a window shade has been drawn over your field of vision.
• You feel pressure or pain in your eyes.
• You have trouble perceiving colours, especially blue and yellow, or making distinctions between similar colours.

Your ophthalmologist will give you a comprehensive exam that includes dilating your pupils so she can look directly at the retina. You may not be able to see or feel the earliest signs of retinopathy, but a doctor can easily pick them up during an eye exam, so it's important to schedule regular vision checks.

• People with type 1 diabetes should get an eye exam within three to five years of the onset of the disease.
• People with type 2 diabetes have an exam immediately after diagnosis.
• After that, everyone with diabetes should have his or her eyes checked once a year.

There are some natural treatments you could try as well. One option is bilberry, a sweet berry native to northern and central Europe. As a supplement or as a fruit, bilberry is worth considering for its ability to improve the health of your eyes and blood vessels.

Bilberry extract can be found at many health stores. The typical dosage is 80 to 120 milligrams, two times per day. Or aim for a daily serving or two of the tasty fruit when available. Bilberry contains powerful antioxidants in its fruit and leaves. These antioxidants, called anthocyanidins, seem to help prevent damage to tiny blood vessels that can result in nerve pain and retinopathy (damage to the eye's retina). Animal studies have also suggested that bilberry may lower blood sugar.