Dr Muecke’s ADVICE

While two thirds of people living with diabetes will develop some form of eye disease within 20 years of being diagnosed, 98 per cent of serious vision loss from diabetes can be avoided. Look after your eyesight with Dr Muecke’s top tips.

1 BE AWARE OF THE RISK, “Unfortunately, many people living with diabetes still aren’t aware of the complications it can cause and how life-changing those complications can be,” he says. Fact: the most common diabetes-related eye disease results in permanent vision loss if it’s left untreated.

2 HAVE YOUR EYES CHECKED REGULARLY. “More than one in two people with diabetes don’t do this,” says Dr Muecke. “Often, it’s not until people start to notice changes in their vision that they do something about it, by which time disease can already be quite advanced. It’s better to be proactive.” As well as having an eye exam when you’re first diagnosed, you should have them once every two years at a minimum.

3 LOOK AFTER YOUR DIABETES. Persistently high BGLs can increase the risk of eye problems by damaging the eyes’ blood vessels. “Doing what you can to maintain good blood glucose control is important,” he says.