Diabetes affects nearly every system in the body — including your eyes. High blood sugar levels can quietly damage the delicate blood vessels that support healthy vision. Many of these changes happen long before symptoms appear, which is why partnering with your eye doctor in Tennessee is essential for protecting your sight.
At Tennessee Eye Care, our team routinely manages diabetic eye conditions across Knoxville, Harriman, Lenoir City, Morristown, and Powell. Below, we outline seven key facts that explain how diabetes impacts your vision and why regular monitoring is the best way to prevent long-term damage.
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes. It develops when high blood sugar weakens the tiny blood vessels in the retina.
There are two stages:
Your eye doctor in Tennessee monitors for both, even if your vision seems normal.
People with diabetes tend to develop cataracts earlier in life. High blood sugar causes the eye’s natural lens to swell and become cloudy, which can lead to blurry vision, glare, and dull-colored images.
Regular eye exams allow your doctor to track early symptoms of cataracts and recommend timely cataract treatment in Tennessee before vision loss becomes significant.
Diabetes doubles your risk of glaucoma. This disease damages the optic nerve, often due to elevated eye pressure.
A more severe form, neovascular glaucoma, occurs when new blood vessels grow on the iris and block fluid drainage — a complication seen in advanced diabetic retinopathy. Early detection through an annual exam is essential to protecting your long-term vision.
Every person with diabetes needs a dilated eye exam at least once a year. These exams reveal changes long before symptoms become noticeable.
The biggest challenge with diabetic eye disease is its silence. Many patients in our East Tennessee clinics are shocked to learn they had developing retinopathy even while their vision still seemed clear. Only a dilated exam can detect these early signs.
Consistently controlled blood sugar remains the most important factor in protecting your vision. When blood glucose levels stay stable, damage to retinal blood vessels slows dramatically.
Your eye doctor in Tennessee will work closely with your primary care provider to monitor how well blood sugar control is protecting your vision.
Although early diabetic eye disease is silent, advanced changes can appear suddenly.
Call your doctor if you notice:
These may indicate bleeding or fluid leakage in the retina and need immediate attention.
Don’t wait for your next scheduled visit if anything changes. Sudden vision symptoms, discomfort, or difficulty seeing clearly should be evaluated right away.
Building a long-term relationship with your eye doctor ensures you have someone who knows your history, monitors your risks, and provides timely treatment when needed.
Diabetes requires constant attention, and your eyes deserve the same level of care. By understanding the risks — including symptoms of cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy — and committing to yearly eye exams in Tennessee, you take powerful steps to protect your sight. With Tennessee Eye Care as your partner, you gain a trusted team dedicated to preventing vision loss and supporting your long-term health. Contact us today!
Yes. Even well-managed diabetes can cause retinal changes. Annual dilated exams remain essential for catching early signs of cataracts or retinopathy.
In early stages, the primary approach is excellent blood sugar and blood pressure control. Advanced stages may require laser treatment or anti-VEGF injections.
Yes. Your primary doctor manages diabetes overall, but you need an eye doctor in Tennessee — an optometrist or ophthalmologist — who performs yearly dilated exams and specializes in diabetic eye disease.
Absolutely. Many diabetic eye conditions progress silently. That’s why early detection through regular exams is so important.
Yes. Diabetes increases the likelihood of developing cataracts at a younger age and can speed up lens clouding over time.
