If you have diabetes, keeping your eyes healthy is essential. Diabetes can damage the small blood vessels in the back of your eyes and lead to vision problems or even blindness. This guide explains how your eyes work, how diabetes affects them, how we check for problems, and how you can protect your vision.
How do your eyes work?
Your eyes help you see by capturing light and sending signals to your brain. The back of your eye contains a part called the retina, which is like a screen that receives the light and helps you see clearly.
- The retina: Sends messages to your brain to create the images you see.
- The blood vessels: Supply oxygen and nutrients to keep the retina healthy.
When everything is working well, your eyes let you see the world clearly and in detail.
How can diabetes affect your eyes?
High blood sugar can damage the small blood vessels in your retina. This damage is called diabetic retinopathy.
- In early stages: The blood vessels may become leaky or blocked.
- In later stages: New, weaker blood vessels may grow and bleed. This can scar the retina or cause it to detach.
Diabetic retinopathy often has no symptoms until the damage is more serious, so regular eye screening is very important.
Diabetes can also increase the risk of:
- Cataracts – when the lens of your eye becomes cloudy.
- Glaucoma – when pressure builds up in the eye and damages the optic nerve.
How do we check for eye problems?
The NHS offers a free diabetic eye screening every year to people with diabetes over the age of 12.
Diabetic eye screening
- What it does: A special camera takes photographs of the back of your eyes (the retina).
- Why it matters: It can find early signs of damage before you notice any vision problems.
- Where it’s done: At an NHS diabetic eye screening clinic. You’ll get an appointment each year.
- What to expect: You’ll get drops in your eyes to widen your pupils, then photos are taken.
If changes are found, you may need to be seen by an eye specialist (an ophthalmologist) for more tests and possible treatment.
How can you protect your eyes?
There are many things you can do to help keep your eyes healthy if you have diabetes:
- Keep your blood sugar in target range
- This lowers the risk of eye damage and slows down any changes.
- Use your HbA1c result to track how well your blood sugar is managed.
- Medications that can help include metformin, insulin, gliclazide, or newer drugs like semaglutide and dapagliflozin.
- Manage your blood pressure and cholesterol
- High blood pressure and high cholesterol increase the risk of eye problems.
- Blood pressure medicines like ramipril or amlodipine and cholesterol medicines like atorvastatin can help.
- Attend your annual eye screening
- Go to your screening appointment even if your vision seems fine.
- It’s the best way to spot problems early.
- Get regular sight tests
- These are different from diabetic eye screening.
- You should still have regular eye tests with an optician to check your vision and eye health.
- Don’t smoke
- Smoking can make eye problems worse.
- Your GP, nurse, or pharmacist can help you quit. NHS stop smoking support might include nicotine patches, Champix (varenicline) or Zyban (bupropion).
- Read about the life-changing benefits of quitting smoking.
- Stay active and eat well
- A healthy lifestyle supports blood flow and reduces inflammation, which helps protect your eyes.
- For our more in-depth article on nutrition tips, please find our article here on diet tips for diabetes.
What if eye problems are found?
If diabetic retinopathy is found early, you might just need regular check-ups and better control of your diabetes.
If more serious damage is found, you may need:
- Laser treatment – to seal leaking blood vessels.
- Eye injections – to reduce swelling (medicines like aflibercept or ranibizumab).
- Surgery – for very advanced problems.
Your eye specialist will explain the options and support you through the treatment.
Support from the NHS for diabetes and eye health
- Annual diabetic eye screening is free on the NHS.
- Sight tests with an optician may also be free depending on your age or income.
- If needed, you’ll be referred to hospital eye services.
Take control of your eye health with these tips
- Diabetes can lead to serious eye problems, but regular checks can catch them early.
- Have your diabetic eye screening every year.
- Manage your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
- Live healthily and don’t smoke.
You are the most important person in your eye health. With regular care and good diabetes control, you can protect your vision for life.
Track your eye health with the Evergreen Life app
Taking control of your diabetes means taking care of your eyes, too.
By staying on top of your screenings, managing your blood sugar, and living a healthy lifestyle, you can protect your vision for years to come.
With the Evergreen Life app, you can keep track of your GP appointments, and test results all in one place — giving you greater control over your eye health. You can also explore questionnaires on wellness topics like nutrition, fitness and hydration to support you with your overall health and wellbeing.
✅ If you haven’t already, download the free Evergreen Life app to keep an eye on your results and feel more confident in your diabetes journey.
- NHS – Diabetic Eye Screening Programme
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetic-eye-screening/
Clear explanation of what diabetic eye screening involves, why it’s important, and what to expect at the appointment. - Diabetes UK – Eyes and Diabetes
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/complications/eyes
Offers a comprehensive look at how diabetes affects the eyes, the importance of screening, and lifestyle advice. - NICE – Diabetic Retinopathy in Adults: Management (NG82)
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng82
NICE guideline detailing how diabetic eye disease should be detected, monitored, and treated. - NHS – Diabetic Retinopathy Overview
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetic-retinopathy/
Provides details about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and progression of diabetic eye disease. - NHS – General Diabetes Management https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetes/
Covers blood sugar control, complications (including eye problems), medications, and lifestyle support.
