Reversed seeing

Oddball · #1 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 07:20 AM

When I was first diagnosed with Diabetes I, I was very new to meter, etc. When I tried to read the syringes, I become a far sightened, so I barely see the the line of syringes. I was puzzled why my eyes "switch" from nearsighted to farsighted for a short time. I did not use my rx glasses for driving because my eyes were "normal." But, my sugar level become more stable, then my eyes switched back to nearsighted. Now, I am using glasses for driving. Have you had experiences before? I think it is so weird.

morrisma · #2 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 07:55 AM

High sugars affect sight certainly but your description is unusual I think. Maybe others can chime in on this!

BriOnH · #3 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 12:43 PM

Diabetes doesn't effect the lens or the cornea, and for your vision to change like that it would have had to flex your lens a smudge inward to a smudge outward, and back again. High blood sugar effects the retina and the optic nerve. This is why high blood sugar for extended periods of time can make things blurry. Running high for loooong periods of time cause diabetic retinopathy and/or macular edema which can really blur your sight.

Does this mean that diabetes caused you to be near-sighted to far sighted and back again? Maybe, but from what I know about the eyes and diabetes it doesn't seem likely.

Hopefully your appointment will shed more light.

jspirit · #4 (**permalink**) 04-13-2008, 01:07 PM

I had a similar experience right after I was diagnosed ( almost 3 years ago). My sugar levels spiked and all of a sudden it seemed like I was wearing someone else's prescription on my glasses! I always wore glasses for distance, but all of a sudden I could see the tv without any glasses from far away as well as street signs I could never have read before without my glasses! Then when I tried to look up close at something, instead of taking my glasses off to see more clearly , it was all blurry .
As soon as I started on meds and my sugars came down, after 3 weeks I was able to wear my glasses again and my prescription went back to normal for me.
I think that was a normal reaction from what I have learned. Thank goodness it was temporary and things settled down when my readings were in the normal range.
Does that sound similar?

HelenM · #5 (**permalink**) 04-14-2008, 12:23 AM

I normally wear glasses for distance vision. I hadn't realised that my visin had gradually become worse.
In hospital once they had got my BS down I could look out of the window and see for ever.It was a fantasic, though slightly weird feeling. On the otherhand I couldn't bear to watch the TV in my room because I was far too close to it. My eyesight went back to 'normal' very quickly (actually slightly better than my most recent prescription)
Apparently high BS causes the fluid levels in the lens to change (because of osmotic pressure) The change in the fluid level changes the refractive index of the lens causing (usually) increased myopia. Rapid correction causes the levels to change again leading to farsightedness. Eventually, if BS stabilises everything settles down and the vision returns to what it should have been without the high BS. (source Gretchen Becker)

DarthDiabetes · #6 (**permalink**) 04-14-2008, 03:09 AM

At DX I was sitting in the ER reading a book, on the lovely insulin drip. 2 days later I could not read that book for the life of me, and halos started to appear around bright lights. Over the next 2 weeks it got so bad I had to buy 4X reading glasses just to check my BG. Over the next two weeks it slowly returned to normal, and my vision is not back to where it all started. Eye doc told me that the fluid changes from high blood sugar are then changed quickly with insulin therapy, and everything takes a while to sort out. At the time I remember thinking, "Oh great, diabetes and losing my vision."

davef · #7 (**permalink**) 04-14-2008, 04:22 AM

Hi Oddball,

I went through the very same thing, there is a thread Dramatic eyesight improvement, weird or normal?
about this very thing.

Just before DX, my distance sight was got steadily (suddenly) worse over about 2-3 weeks. Then just after DX when I started to get my BG down it improved dramtically to the point where I didn't need my glasses at all. I'm 42 and had reached the point where I had to take glasses off to read and only used them for distance, driving/TV.

The dramtic (no glasses) lasted about 6 weeks, and co-incided with my BG starting to get down to normal/non-diabetic range. Now I'm back using my glasses for driving, I don't use them at all in work (PC, reading etc).