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High blood sugar damages the vessels in your body.
Eye damage from diabetes (diabetic blindness) is a complication of diabetes, caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye (retina).
It can begin with poor eyesight before progressing to blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated.
However, it usually takes several years for diabetic retinopathy to reach a stage where it could threaten your sight. Early-stage symptoms include high blood sugars, which may lead to insulin resistance.
Reducing your sugar intake before eye damage occurs may be an effective strategy to prevent diabetic retinopathy and blindness.
My guest today is ophthalmologist Dr. James Muecke AM. Dr. Mueke has dedicated his career to the prevention of blindness and ophthalmic research. He founded the non-profit organization Sight For All, which is dedicated to fighting all causes of blindness.
Dr. Mueke’s contribution to blindness prevention was recognized with the titles South Australian of the Year and Australian of the Year for 2020.
Dr. Mueke tells his personal professional story, the communities he has worked in, and the impact that his organization, Sight For All has had. He is a passionate advocate for the need to prevent the leading cause of blindness in adults – type 2 diabetes – a disease that impacts nearly one in every 10 Australians and is now recognized as a “looming catastrophe for our health system”.
You can follow Dr. James Meuke:
https://www.facebook.com/drjamesmuecke
