Over time, diabetes can cause damage to your eyes that can lead to poor vision or even blindness. During your doctor visits or trips to the pharmacy, tell them about all medicines, supplements and herbs you use so that they can let you know if there could be any interaction. Love yourself – no matter what. You can't always prevent diabetic retinopathy. It is a lifelong responsibility if you have diabetes.Thankfully, blindness from diabetic retinopathy is largely preventable, and treatment is fairly effective and advanced. This keeps blood sugar levels stable, making it an excellent choice for diabetics.If you have diabetes, you’ve probably been trained to avoid starch like the plague. Other people may notice blurry vision, such as difficulty reading or seeing faces as well as they could in the past. are clickable links to these studies.The information in our articles is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.This article is based on scientific evidence, written by Our team includes licensed nutritionists and dietitians, certified health education specialists, as well as certified strength and conditioning specialists, personal trainers and corrective exercise specialists. With strict editorial sourcing guidelines, we only link to academic research institutions, reputable media sites and, when research is available, medically peer-reviewed studies. In most cases, treatment can also keep the disease from getting worse, even if the existing damage cannot be erased. The condition is caused when blood sugar and blood pressure in the tiny blood vessels in the eye “spring a leak” and release blood into the eye. It all comes back to blood sugar.Chronic high blood sugar causes a condition called edema, which is the accumulation of fluid. That means that you can’t stop working to control your blood sugar and keep your eyes healthy. Eat when you’re hungry. Regular eye exams are crucial for people with diabetes.In the early stages of the disease, you may have no symptoms. Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) 1. Workout less, move more.Set compelling goals. It might sound totally flavorless and bland, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.A diabetic diet just means keeping your carbohydrates in moderation and selecting foods that fall lower on the glycemic index to avoid spiking your blood sugar. For example, some supplements can raise blood pressure, which can be harmful if you have diabetic retinopathy or other eye diseases (like With diabetic retinopathy, prevention and early detection are key. The condition is caused when blood sugar and blood pressure in the tiny blood vessels in the eye “spring a leak” and release blood into the eye. People who do not have diabetes do not develop diabetic retinopathy, although they can experience many eye diseases (retinopathies) that have the same symptoms and effects.The longer you have had diabetes, the greater your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Drink more greens. Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that can affect people with any form of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2 or gestational diabetes. Stop when you’re full.19 Healthier Dessert Recipes So Good You’ll Think They’re Bad19 Highly Alkaline Foods That Will Benefit Your BodyThe Alkaline Diet: 5 Controversial Truths You Need to Know AboutTrain movements, not muscles. But you can take steps to prevent diabetic eye disease, or keep it from getting worse, by taking care of your diabetes. Love yourself – no matter what.7 of the Most Important Steps to Prevent OsteoporosisHow to Raise Your HDL Cholesterol (The Natural Way)7 Best Natural Remedies for Dandruff and Itchy ScalpLearn the ins and outs. Do it right. But a lot of people don’t know about the massive toll it can take on your whole body – including your eyes.Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy is just one of the dangerous ways that prolonged diabetes can affect your wellbeing.When you have long-term diabetes, it can gradually deteriorate your vision, and even strip you of your sight entirely.The good news is that you can prevent vision damage, but it takes hard work, dedication, and lifestyle modifications to do it.Whether you or someone you know has diabetes, it’s important to know how to stop nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy before it begins.Your ability to see is the result of a pretty magnificent and complicated process that converts light signals into images in your brain.Light comes in through your eye lens where it is focused and then passed into the retina, where photoreceptors translate it into a series of electrical impulses that your brain interprets into images.The retina gets its blood supply through very small capillaries in the back of the eye which help it function correctly and allow us to see.Diabetic retinopathy occurs as a result of damage to the retina, and more specifically due to swelling and fluid retention in the blood vessels that support the retina.How does this happen?