Your child's beautiful eyes allow them to create memories as they learn about the world around them. After a diabetes diagnosis, it is normal for you to worry about how their health condition may influence their ability to enjoy the future. Although your child is at risk for developing a diabetic eye disease that can affect their ability to see properly, following their treatment plan to keep blood sugar levels under control helps to reduce the chances of this happening. In addition to working with your child's doctor to develop an eye care plan, you can use these tips to help preserve their vision.
Know the Most Common Complications
When blood glucose levels remain too high for a long period of time, it can affect the blood vessels in the eye. Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that involves damage to the small blood vessels that are in the back of the eye. Over time, these damaged vessels can leak, or newer, weaker vessels may form in the eye. These changes can cause damage to the retina and lead to permanent vision loss if they are not treated. Your child is also at greater risk for other conditions that require diabetic eye treatment such as cataracts and glaucoma. Being aware of the eye conditions associated with diabetes enables you to be proactive in their prevention.
Watch For Changes In Your Child's Vision
The one silver lining regarding the effects that diabetes has on vision is that most related conditions develop slowly. For this reason, being able to recognize the early warning signs of a problem allows you to act quickly and prevent more serious damage from occurring to your child's vision. Ask your child to let you know if they notice new or unusual eye symptoms such as blurriness or seeing flashing lights. Children with diabetic eye conditions may also complain of seeing wavy lines or floaters. These changes may go away and come back as blood sugar levels fluctuate, which means that you should still mention them to the eye doctor even if they seem temporary.
Establish an Eye Exam Schedule
Children with diabetes may need eye exams more often than they did before the diagnosis. Your child may also need to have their eyes dilated during the exam to give the doctor a better view of the blood vessels in their eye. Be sure to ask how often to bring your child in for their exam. Staying on track with these checkups gives you the added reassurance of knowing that your child's eyes are healthy.
Following a diabetes diagnosis, your child may need to make lifestyle changes that help to keep their blood sugar under control. By including eye care strategies in these changes, you can develop a comprehensive plan to preserve your child's overall health as well as their vision.
Visit an optometrist's website to find more information.
Share8 August 2018
When it comes to parenting, taking care of your kids can feel like a daily guessing game. You might wonder why your child is acting so fussy, only to figure out a few days later that they are suffering from a cold. Unfortunately, the symptoms of poor vision can be even more difficult to notice, which is why taking your child to an optometrist is so crucial. This blog is all about noticing the signs of eye problems and taking your child to the eye doctor right away. By paying attention and being proactive about eye problems, you can keep your child healthy and happy.