The back of your eyes house thousands of blood vessels that are important for the functioning of your eyes.

When you have diabetes, especially uncontrolled, it leads to high concentrations of blood sugars to accumulate and alter the flow of blood through these vessels. This can cause the blood vessels to leak, resulting in bleeding which can damage your eyes.

If you have diabetes, you are at risk of diabetic retinopathy. It is important that you have an annual eye examination with an optometrist so they can monitor the back of your eyes for the first signs of this condition. The eye examination will involve the use of dilating drops which will make your eyes a little blurry for up to a couple of hours after they are instilled. The drops are used to make the pupils of your eyes larger so that more of the back of the eye can be seen and, hence, assessed.

If you experience changes in your vision, floaters or a shadow in your field of vision, it is important to have your eyes assessed even if you are not due for a check-up. Referral to an ophthalmologist will confirm the retinopathy and they will provide treatment accordingly.