World Diabetes Day 2022 | Vision Express

What is Diabetes? How does Diabetes affect my eyes?

Our colleagues Tom and Holly are keen to share their stories, to help raise awareness of the symptoms of diabetes and encourage anyone concerned to see their doctor. Together with the right information, making small changes to our lifestyle and regular eye tests, we can help to #rewritethestory.

Here’s what they had to say…

Tom Hooker

L&D Specialist

I was aware of Type 1 Diabetes because my dad was diagnosed when he was in his mid-20s. I first became extremely unwell with a glandular fever before my 21st Birthday, this weakened my immune system and hospitalised me for around a week, bringing out psoriasis and stress from the lack of nutrients I was able
to give my body.

At the time I was working for Vision Express in Bromley and I noticed that I was constantly needing to quench a thirst – going through maybe 10-12 varieties of water and soft drinks in a single shift; matched with the number of trips to the toilet!

Towards the end of most days, when I‘d been drinking various drinks containing sugar, my vision started to go blurry and my eyesight fluctuated throughout the day. I started noticing flashes and floaters, which I now know was due to my blood sugar levels being unstable, but without being diagnosed this wasn’t something I was familiar with.

After a few weeks of this going on, I was feeling exhausted and started to have ridiculous mood swings over the pettiest things and taking it out on my friends and family, who began to flag this wasn’t right. They also noticed that I’d lost weight and were asking if I was ok or if I’d changed my diet. When really, I hadn’t changed what I was eating, and I was exercising the same amount as before.

Luckily for me, this led to my dad’s suspicion to encourage me to see the GP and discuss this with them.

Thankfully this decision led to my results coming back within 24 hours confirming that I had indeed shown up as having Type 1 Diabetes. This had been dormant in my body but with the glandular fever weakening my immune system, my pancreas was attacked causing a lack of naturally occurring insulin within my body.

I attended the hospital, where they checked my blood sugar levels, which at the time were extremely high. If I’d gone on like this without seeking a diagnosis, it could have led to more severe health risks, such as a stroke or a heart attack.

I feel that it’s so important for everyone to keep on top of attending routine eye tests, along with eye health screening checks at the hospital for those already diagnosed with Diabetes. Poor control can lead to serious long-term problems if it goes unnoticed, such as flashes, floaters, diabetic retinopathy and even to the extreme of completely losing your eyesight.

I’m now approaching 27 and with the developments in technology and support from the diabetic community out there, I am managing myself well, living a normal life and with some good and bad days (as we all get), I’m controlling diabetes and not letting it control me.

Holly Wilkins

L&D Coordinator

I was living a normal busy life for a 12-year-old, a sassy attitude and not long started secondary school. Over a few days, my mum noticed that before I left for school, I’d have drunk my bottle of juice that used to last me all day, and I was waking in the night to use the bathroom.

She thought nothing of it until she saw an advert for a pharmacy who were asking questions like:

Are you struggling to quench your thirst?
Losing weight quickly?
More mood swings than normal?
Going to the toilet a lot?

I ticked all these boxes, so I went to the doctors who called an ambulance there and then. On arrival at QMC, I had to be put in an induced coma to help get me under control quicker. They said if we’d left it any longer, we could be looking at a different story, and I had been diabetic for a couple of months without noticing!

I’m now a 29-year-old mum of one, who’s living a fairly healthy life with an insulin pump!

I advise anyone who fits into the above questions, to pop and see a doctor!

Diabetes and your eyes

Diabetes can cause problems with your eyes. Tom and Holly both experienced changes in their sight before and after diagnosis. So, they’re keen to remind people how important it is to keep up with regular eye health exams, as this is a key step to reducing your risk
of developing serious complications.

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