Realizing that diabetes is affecting your vision can bring up a mix of emotions and practical questions. Everyday tasks start to feel different.
Here are some of the questions we’re often asked about managing diabetic retinopathy. In the answers, we’ll share resources to help you manage diabetes and daily life with changing vision. You’re not alone—many others are navigating the same changes.
1. Is there a tool that can help me understand my risk for diabetic retinopathy?
Yes. The American Diabetes Association offers a simple Diabetes-Related Retinopathy Risk Test that uses your HbA1c level, blood pressure, and a few basic questions to estimate your risk. You can also follow their “take control of your eye health” link for next steps.
2. What do all those eye terms mean when my doctor talks about diabetic retinopathy?
Eye care conversations can feel like learning a new language. The following resources explain common medical terms clearly:
- American Diabetes Association glossary of diabetes terms, including those related to eye health.
- Mayo Clinic explanations of terms related to diabetic retinopathy.
3. Where can I find trustworthy information about diabetic retinopathy and treatment options?
These trusted organizations offer straightforward, up-to-date information:
- National Eye Institute (NEI): symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments.
- AARP: article on symptoms, stages, and treatments for diabetic eye disease, and more resources for managing diabetes in general.
- Mayo Clinic: symptoms, causes, risk factors, complications, and more.
4. How can I manage my diabetes safely if I’m losing vision?
Managing diabetes can feel harder when your vision changes, but many people find that the right tools and support make a meaningful difference. Hadley’s free workshops and handouts provide practical, step-by-step help:
- The Living with Diabetic Retinopathy series shares ways to adjust to day-to-day changes.
- The Managing Diabetes series includes specific help with checking blood sugar and administering insulin with vision loss.
- Additional printable resources include tips for preparing to get a blood sample (PDF) and tracking safe use of a vial of insulin (PDF).
5. How do people cope with vision changes and loss from diabetic retinopathy?
Hearing from others who’ve been there can make the journey feel less isolating.
In the Insights & Sound Bites episode, I redefined my life, Kara Snyder reflects,
“Because the markers I used in my life to define myself or define meaning often were based in a visual interpretation of the world. So, when that became lost to me, it really made me redefine what constitutes meaning in my life if I don't have the visual.”
Debbie McDonald shares that gaining tips for daily living skills and technology have helped so much, as well as talking with others in Hadley Discussion Groups.
If you’d like to talk to someone at Hadley, our Donahoe Center for Support is a great place to start. We’re here Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central Time, at 800-323-4238. We offer virtual low-vision support groups and a peer-to-peer network for older adults with vision loss.
Hadley helps for free: practical tips and methods and social/emotional support. No one needs to face vision loss alone.
What questions do you have about diabetes and vision loss? Share them in the Comments below.
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