Protecting Your Eyesight
Protecting your eyesight calls for more than just eating your carrots. “There are quite a few health conditions that can put eyesight at risk, including high blood pressure and unmanaged diabetes,” says Dr. Tyler Brockman of Washington Regional Fayetteville Family Clinic. “That’s why it’s so important to get annual checkups. We can catch these conditions during an office visit and get them under control before they affect your vision.”
High Blood Pressure
Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, or hypertension. “Many people with hypertension don’t even know they have it, because there usually are no early symptoms,” Dr. Brockman says. Left untreated, high blood pressure can cause many serious health issues, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and peripheral artery disease. High blood pressure also increases your risk of having a stroke, which can impair the optic nerve or damage the area of the brain responsible for processing images. “Changes in vision are very common after a stroke,” Dr. Brockman says. “Many stroke survivors will have visual impairment to some degree.”
Hypertension can also damage the tiny blood vessels in your eyes and cause vision complications such as:
- Retinopathy, a type of blood vessel damage that causes blurred vision or complete loss of eyesight. Keeping blood pressure in a healthy range is the only way to treat hypertensive retinopathy.
- Choroidopathy, which is the buildup of fluid under the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. Choroidopathy often distorts vision.
- Optic neuropathy, the result of blocked blood flow. It can damage nerve cells in your eyes, causing temporary or permanent vision loss.
The best way to know if you are at increased risk for hypertension-related complications is to have your blood pressure checked by your health care provider. If your numbers are higher than 130 systolic and/or 80 diastolic, your provider can show you how to make healthy lifestyle changes, such as these recommended by the American Heart Association:
- Monitor your blood pressure regularly.
- Eat a well-balanced diet that’s low in salt.
- Limit alcohol.
- Stay physically active.
- Manage stress.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Avoid smoking.
- Take medications as directed.
- Partner with your health care provider.
Diabetes
In addition to causing cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and nerve damage, unmanaged diabetes can also lead to vision loss. Two of the most common types of vision loss related to diabetes are macular edema, which is swelling in part of the retina, and retinopathy. Diabetes can also make an individual more likely to have other eye conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma.
Up to 90% of blindness caused by diabetes is preventable, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Regular visits with your health care provider can help ensure early detection and timely treatment of diabetes-related eye conditions, giving you a better chance of preventing vision loss.
If you have diabetes, be sure to get a dilated eye exam at least once a year so your eye doctor can spot any problems early, when they’re most treatable. Keep your blood glucose levels in your target range as much as possible, because prolonged high blood sugar not only damages blood vessels in your eyes, but it can also affect the shape of your eyes’ natural lenses and make your vision blurry.
“Consistency is key when managing blood glucose levels,” Dr. Brockman says. “Try to eat the same amount of food with the same proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats at the same time every day. Focus on foods you know are good for your overall health — plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish and lean meats. Avoid processed foods, snack foods, sugary drinks and alcohol.”
Regular checkups with your health care provider can help catch hypertension- or diabetes-related problems before serious vision changes occur. If you already have eye disease due to these conditions, your health care provider can let you know about advances in treatment that may be able to save your sight.
To learn more about Washington Regional Fayetteville Family Clinic or request an appointment, click here.