EP #11: From Glucose to Glasses: A Diabetes and Vision Discussion with Dr. Nguyen

Curious to know how diabetes and vision are intricately connected? Well, buckle up as we journey through this fascinating link with our esteemed guest, Dr. Thuy Nguyen. As part of Diabetes Awareness Month, we not only explore the impact of diabetes on the eye but also discuss its contribution to ailments such as diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Nguyen sheds light on the role of substances like sorbitol, that can accumulate in the lens causing it to swell and lead to fluctuating vision. Ever wondered why excess sugar in the blood can make the lens cloudy, resulting in conditions like cataracts? Tune in, as we have Dr. Nguyen unravel this for us.

We also dive into the nitty-gritty details of how diabetes can affect your prescription, making you more nearsighted. Dr. Nguyen, with her expert knowledge, emphasizes the importance of regular check-ups, controlling diet and exercise to manage these issues. The discussion takes a further informative turn as we delve into the risks and precautions related to cataract surgery for diabetic patients. There are golden nuggets for those facing this situation, with Dr. Nguyen’s guidance on addressing health issues before they escalate. Join us for an engaging conversation that brings you one step closer to understanding diabetes and eye health.

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or contact: (954) 473-0100

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to the Jazzy Eyes podcast. Taking care of your vision with expert precision. Here's your host, dr Tween Nguyen.

Jeremy: 0:14

Hello everyone, welcome back to the Jazzy Eyes podcast. I'm your host, jeremy Wolfe, joined by Dr Nguyen. Dr Nguyen, we are on a roller coaster ride of Diabetes. It is upcoming Diabetes Awareness Month and we were talking all about diabetes and how it pertains to your vision. I know in previous segments we covered some various subjects and I know you wanted to get into a little bit more about some of the ailments that can come to the eyes as a result of diabetes. Please share with us.

Dr. Nguyen: 0:45

So we just talked about diabetic retinopathy and how it affects the retina, but diabetes can affect other parts of the eyes, such as the lens. You've probably heard of someone in the family having cataracts before. Basically, you're going to say oh, it's my grandmother, my grandpa, Some grandparents has cataracts. Cataracts is just your natural lens becoming cloudy over time. It's usually most cataracts for age-related. But there's another form of cataracts, especially in diabetic patients, where their lens becomes cloudy prematurely due to how much sugar is in their blood.

Jeremy: 1:25

Fascinating.

Dr. Nguyen: 1:30

So the excess sugar in the blood, glucose, gets converted to a substance called sorbitol, which just sits and accumulates in the lens and causes chemical changes, breaks down protein prematurely and causes cataracts.

Jeremy: 1:44

Sorbitol sounds like an artificial sweetener.

Dr. Nguyen: 1:47

Yes, doesn't it? Yes, yes, it certainly does. Sorbitol causes cataracts in a diabetic patient and it can actually lead to the swelling of the lens inside the eyes and causes a prescription change, which is why, if you know a diabetic, they would say oh, sometimes my vision is fluctuating Some days it's blurry, Some days it's not and it's directly correlated to the fluctuation in their blood sugar.

Jeremy: 2:16

It's interesting, as you're saying, that I'm thinking back to all the times that my vision has kind of fluctuated a little bit.

Speaker 1: 2:23

I'm thinking in my head like do I have?

Jeremy: 2:25

diabetes. I need to get checked out Is that normal though that sometimes I do see fuzzy, sometimes I don't. I don't know if I'm just getting older.

Dr. Nguyen: 2:34

What's going on? A lot of things can cause fluctuation of vision. Diabetes and the cataracts is one, dry eyes is actually another one, and when you wake up in the morning your eyes are just very tired from waking up. Normal for your eyes to fluctuate and vision first thing in the morning, but diabetes it can cause fluctuation randomly throughout the day.

Jeremy: 2:55

I'm thinking the figures are high. When I wake up in the morning and I'm a little dazed and confused, I just dunk my head in a bucket of ice water and that wakes me up really good.

Dr. Nguyen: 3:02

The ice bucket challenge.

Jeremy: 3:07

I'm a firm advocate of ice baths, though, on the side, yes, it's very good for your muscle recovery and everything, yeah.

Dr. Nguyen: 3:14

But yes, the swelling in the lens due to glucose and diabetes causes a prescription shift and most commonly it makes you more near sighted as opposed to far sighted. So your prescription when your cataracts gets, when your diabetes gets worse, you come back for your, your annual exam. We check the lens and see if there's any changes in the cataracts or your diabetes. And you might say that, oh, I'm not seeing as well as I used to. I have to come closer to my computer to see. And my diabetes has been out of the control. Most likely it's the, the, the cataracts becoming worse from the diabetes. If you're already a pre-diabetic, if you're already a diabetic and it hasn't been controlled and you know that your, your sugar levels are off the roof, then it's not great.

Jeremy: 4:02

So I'll I'll leave on this note and I say this often if you get anything from these discussions, take care of yourself out there, watch your diet, exercise, address these issues before they become issues and obviously get routine checkups, not just with your eyes but also at your doctor and everything else, because this stuff is a lot easier to manage when you deal with it preemptively and before it becomes a big issue.

Dr. Nguyen: 4:30

Yeah, speaking of management too management, too. A common surgery to get rid of cataracts is cataract surgery, where they take out that cloudy lens and put in a clear lens so that people can see clear. But the thing with cataract surgery and diabetics is you have to take precautions because that person is a diabetic. When you're a diabetic, you're open to much more risk after the surgery, such as increased macular swelling or bleeding, and most ophthalmologists won't perform the cataract surgery on you If they know that you're a diabetic and your diabetes is uncontrolled. They want you to take care of the underlying issues, such as any diabetic retinopathy, before they even touch your lens. So very important that you take care of yourself.

Jeremy: 5:12

You said they just removed the lens and put a new one in.

Dr. Nguyen: 5:15

Yeah, simple like that, right? They just take it out, Just take it out pop up. Easy peasy? No, not that simple.

Jeremy: 5:23

Dr Nguyen, anything else you'd like to share before we wrap up?

Dr. Nguyen: 5:29

Yes, take care of yourself, control your diet, exercise and exercise and diet are huge things, not just for diabetes, but just for your general well-being 100%, Dr Nguyen, always a pleasure.

Jeremy: 5:47

We'll look forward to catching you on a future episode. So you have a wonderful day. And to our listeners take care, stay safe, stay healthy, and we'll catch you next time.

Speaker 1: 6:04

Thank you for listening to the Jazzy Eyes podcast. For more information, visit jazzyeyescom or contact 954-473-0100.