Diabetes and Your Eyes in Singapore: Why a Yearly Check Matters Even If You See Fine

How Diabetes Affects the Eyes

High blood sugar over time can damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina. The retina is the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye that lets you see. This damage is called diabetic retinopathy, and it is one of the most common eye problems in people with diabetes.

At first the damaged vessels may leak a little fluid or blood. Later, new but weak vessels can grow, which can bleed or pull on the retina. If this is not treated it can lead to serious and permanent sight loss.

The most important thing to know is this: in the early stages, diabetic retinopathy often has no symptoms at all. Your vision can feel completely normal while damage is quietly building up. That is why waiting for symptoms is risky.

Why You Need a Yearly Eye Check

Many people with diabetes are surprised to learn they need a full eye check every year, even with good vision. Here is why it matters:

• Early damage is silent - You cannot feel or see it in the early stages.
• Early treatment works best - Caught early, most sight loss can be prevented or slowed.
• It can change quickly - Diabetic eye disease can worsen over months, so regular checks keep track.

A yearly check uses special scans and eye drops to look deep inside the eye, in a way that a normal glasses check cannot.

Warning Signs to Watch For

Even though early diabetic eye disease has no symptoms, you should see an eye doctor quickly if you notice any of these:

• Blurred vision, or vision that comes and goes
• Dark spots or floaters in your sight
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Straight lines looking wavy or bent
• A dark shadow or a sudden drop in vision

A sudden change in vision needs urgent care. Do not wait for your next routine check.

What Raises Your Risk?

Anyone with diabetes can develop eye problems, but some things raise the risk:

• How long you have had diabetes - The longer you have it, the higher the risk.
• Poor blood sugar control - High or unstable blood sugar speeds up the damage.
• High blood pressure and cholesterol - These add extra stress on the eye's blood vessels.
• Kidney problems - These often go hand in hand with eye problems.
• Pregnancy - Diabetic eye disease can move faster during pregnancy.

How Diabetic Eye Disease Is Found

A diabetic eye check is simple and painless. It usually includes:

• A sight test - To check how clearly you see.
• Eye drops to widen the pupil - So the doctor can see the retina clearly.
• An OCT scan - A gentle scan that takes detailed pictures of the retina and shows any swelling.
• Retinal photos - A clear photo of the back of the eye, useful for tracking changes over time.

How It Is Treated

If diabetic eye disease is found, there are effective treatments. The right one depends on the stage and how much the centre of your sight is affected.

• Better control of diabetes - Keeping blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol in check is the foundation of treatment.
• Eye injections - For swelling at the centre of the retina, medicine is placed into the eye (called an intravitreal injection) to reduce leaking and protect sight.
• Laser treatment - Used to seal leaking vessels or to calm abnormal new vessels.
• Surgery (vitrectomy) - For advanced cases with bleeding or scarring inside the eye.

Dr Bobby Cheng will guide the treatment based on your scans and how your eyes respond.

Protecting Your Eyes with Diabetes

Alongside your yearly check, a few habits go a long way:

• Keep your blood sugar as steady as you can
• Manage your blood pressure and cholesterol
• Eat well and stay active
• Avoid smoking, which harms the eye's blood vessels
• Go for your eye check every year, even if you see fine

Take the Next Step

Diabetes and your eyes are closely linked, but sight loss is largely preventable. A yearly eye check is one of the simplest and most important things you can do to protect your vision. If you have diabetes, book an eye check with Dr Bobby Cheng today, even if your vision feels fine.