What is Diabetic Eye Disease?
Diabetic eye disease is a group of eye conditions that can affect people with diabetes. These conditions include cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
Your eyes are the only place in the human body where blood vessel health can be assessed without surgery. The blood vessels in your eyes indicate how diabetes is affecting all organs in your body. Dr. Vann will share an eye health report with the physician(s) involved in your diabetic care.
5 Ways to Prevent Diabetic Eye Disease
1. Watch your diet
- Eliminate sugary drinks such as soda and sweet tea.
- Drink half your weight in ounces of water every day.
- Eliminate white carbohydrates completely. Carbohydrates regulate how fast or slow your blood sugar changes. Depending on the source, they can either give you steady energy or they can cause an energy crash.
- Limit saturated fats.
- Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Choose foods with low glycemic index.
2. Exercise
Studies indicate up to a 58% reduction in diabetic risk over a 3 year period with increased physical activity. The American Diabetes Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days per week.
3. Quit smoking
Both smoking and diabetes narrow blood vessels, making your heart work harder and increasing your risk for blood vessel damage in your eyes and elsewhere in your body.
4. Take vitamin D
Diabetics who develop retinopathy have lower levels of vitamin D in their systems, resulting in even more damage to your eyes. Dr. Vann recommends a blood test to determine your vitamin D levels. He will then prescribe a treatment plan to minimize diabetic eye disease based on these results. If you currently take vitamin D or plan to start, be sure to purchase the cholecalciferol version of D3.
5. Take EyePromise DVS
The ingredients in the DVS formula are critical to protecting long term eye health by reducing the risk of diabetic retinopathy by 66%. DVS has been clinically proven to improve retinal health for patients with diabetes by disrupting oxidative stress and promoting cardiovascular integrity.
EyePromise DVS Ingredients
Zeaxanthin: The most critical nutrient needed for vision protection and improvement. Zeaxanthin acts as “internal sunglasses” for vision by protecting it from harmful blue light and other oxidants. This nutrient is scarce in the typical American diet.
Lutein: This nutrient works with zeaxanthin in protecting and improving vision.
Vitamin C: An essential vitamin in the production of the glue that holds the cells in the eyes and brain together.
Vitamin D: A vitamin that promotes eye health as we age. Deficiency of this vitamin is linked to age-related eye health issues.
Vitamin E: An essential vitamin that slows cellular aging and strengthens blood vessels.
Vitamin B12: An essential group of vitamins proven to help mitigate the effects of age-related eye health issues.
Zinc: An essential mineral important for metabolism and eye health.
Omega-3: An essential nutrient for eye, heart and skin health. Omega–3 deficiency can result in poor eye and brain function.
Alpha Lipoic Acid: An antioxidant works with vitamins C & E to maintain eye health.
CoQ10: A powerful antioxidant important for blood vessel health and the generation of energy of heart, brain and eye cells.
Mixed Tocopherols: Essential in slowing cellular aging and strengthening blood vessels.
Benfotiamine: A powerful antioxidant and relative of vitamin B1(Thiamine) that supports a healthy nervous system and healthy blood vessels in those concerned with blood glucose levels.
N-acetyl-l-cysteine: An antioxidant that is also a building block to another naturally occurring antioxidant in the body and the eye.
Grapeseed Extract & Resveratrol: Powerful antioxidants that strengthen blood vessels.
Pycnogenol: This supports healthy blood flow in the eye.
Curcumin: A group of antioxidants with broad benefits for the body, brain, and eye.
Green Tea Leaf Extract: A group of antioxidants with broad benefits for the body and brain.