Let’s face it: managing diabetes is tough. It affects everything from your energy to, critically, your eyesight.

November is American Diabetes Month and Diabetes-related Eye Disease Awareness Month and a good time to recognize the importance of protecting one of your most valuable assets: your vision.

Understanding Diabetes

Your body uses a type of sugar called glucose for energy. To get this sugar from your blood into your cells, you need a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps the sugar enter your cells so you can have energy.

Sometimes, there can be issues in this process, and this can result in high glucose levels in the blood. This is known as diabetes, and there aretwo main types – type 1 and type 2.

• • Type 1 Diabetes: In this form of diabetes, your immune system mistakenly attacks the pancreas, which is the organ that makes insulin. As a result, glucose cannot enter the cells effectively.

• • Type 2 Diabetes: In this more common form of diabetes, insulin levels are normal. The core problem is in how your body responds to it. It becomes desensitized to the hormone’s effects, a concept known as insulin resistance. Ultimately, the result is similar – glucose struggles to enter the cell.
    
    

The Silent Threat: How Diabetes Harms Your Eyes

Now that we know how diabetes affects blood sugar, it’s important to understand that high blood sugar can quietly harm your eyes too. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy.

High blood sugar can quietly damage the tiny blood vessels in your retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of your eye. Think of the retina like a camera, capturing everything you see and sending it to your brain. The worrying part? Most people don’t notice any changes until the damage is already underway.

Your Best Defense: The Annual Eye Exam

This is why a dilated eye exam every year is so important. During this exam, your doctor uses special drops to open your pupils fully and get a clear view of the retina. They can spot early signs of damage, like tiny leaks or swelling, long before your vision is affected.

If problems are caught early, treatments can protect your eyes and prevent serious vision loss. The key takeaway: don’t wait for blurry vision to appear. Make your annual eye exam a priority – it’s the single most important step to safeguard your sight.

Mastering the Metabolic Trifecta

Keeping your eyes and your body healthy with diabetes comes down to three key numbers, which we call the Metabolic Trifecta. Think of it like balancing three spinning plates – when all three are in check, your blood vessels stay strong and safe.

• • Blood Sugar (A1C Test): This simple blood test shows your average sugar levels over the past two to three months. Keeping it stable protects your tiny blood vessels from slow, daily damage.

• • Blood Pressure: High blood pressure puts extra stress on your delicate vessels, making damage happen faster. Keeping it under control helps protect your eyes, heart, and kidneys.

• • Cholesterol: Cholesterol affects how well blood flows. Keeping it in check ensures oxygen and nutrients reach all parts of your body, including your eyes.
    
    

Taking Control: Your Action Plan

Now that you know the numbers, the next step is action. You can take control of your health with simple lifestyle changes:

• • Target Visceral Fat: Visceral fat is the deep fat around your organs, and it can make your blood sugar problems worse. Losing just 5% to 7% of your body weight can improve your blood sugar and overall health.

• • Move Smartly: Aim for at least 150 minutes of activity each week, like brisk walking. Include strength training two to three times a week to help your muscles use insulin better.

• • Prevent Type 2 Diabetes: If your blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet in the diabetes range, this is called prediabetes. Women who have high blood sugar during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. Both of these can increase the chances of type 2 diabetes. For both, programs like the National Diabetes Prevention Program can help. They teach diet and activity changes that can cut your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than half.
    
    

New Tools for Control of Diabetes

The science of diabetes management is moving fast, giving you more tools than ever before.

• • Automated Insulin Delivery: For type 1 diabetes, systems called Automated Insulin Delivery connect a continuous glucose monitor to an insulin pump. The system automatically adjusts insulin levels for you, keeping your blood sugar steady.

• • Modern Medications – GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: GLP-1 stands for Glucagon-Like Peptide 1. It is a natural hormone in your body that helps control blood sugar by slowing digestion, boosting insulin levels after meals, and helping you feel full. Medications that mimic this hormone can help manage blood sugar and support weight loss. You can also naturally boost GLP-1 through certain foods, which we explain in our blog: 9 Foods that Naturally Boost GLP-1 in Our Bodies.
    
    

Finding Your Strength: Kaila’s Story

Learning to control diabetes is a journey millions of people are on, and it can feel overwhelming – but you are not alone. Take Kaila, for example. She was a middle school student diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and worried that her athletic dreams were over.

Through learning her body, getting support from her family, and using modern tools like technology and smart medications, she regained her strength and confidence. Kaila went on to compete at the collegiate level, proving that diabetes doesn’t define your potential.

Her story is inspiring because it shows that with commitment, knowledge, and support, you can take control of your health and keep chasing your goals.

Conclusion

Managing diabetes is not a one-time fix – it’s a daily journey of care, learning, and perseverance. And remember that every choice matters – annual exams, lifestyle changes, and use of new tools are crucial for preventing vision complications like retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma.