Vision problems... What do you mean by that?

Question

Does this mean blurry vision? Is it something you can blink away? Are there spots or pain? Does this happen whenever the diabetic is hyperglycemic? Ketoacidotic? Or does it go away once diagnosed? I don't know if Gina ever had blurry vision when first diagnosed and she'll never remember. But she's not great at recognizing highs and if this is recurring, it might help her if I point out to tell me when her vision is blurry. Pointing out symptoms she's probably having is how we got her to recognize lows (shakiness, sweaty, starving). She's great at that now... thanks to you I might add. It was someone's idea here to go about it that way.

And... Is "blurry" the right word to use for a 6-year old child? Or is the actual thing just funky for lack of a better word and blurry is the best way to describe it? She's type 1.

Answer 1

Diabetic vision problems could be anything from "blurry" to blindness. In a severely uncontrolled diabetic, these occur ALL the time -- they are a constant problem, regardless if blood sugar readings.

Personally, I first noticed night vision problems -- I couldn't drive at night. My eyes wouldn't adjust as required to handle bright oncoming headlights then total darkness on rural roads.  In the city, lights often had "stars" around them.

But it got worse, and I got "out of focus spots", like astigmatism.  It showed up on an exam, and turned out to be "bubbles" on my retinas caused by retinal dettachment -- caused by high blood pressure, cause by diabetes.

If I keep the diabetes under control, the night vision is fixed.  But I've had 9 laser "weldings" to put my retinas back, and to cauterize capillary "bleeds".

NOW - - - If I get hypoglycemic, the light-colored areas of my vision "bloom".  The light areas get brighter and bigger, almost to the point of a "white out" (of course, I've learned this symptom and carry the necessary remedies with me).  [I used to service television sets.  The best I can describe this is it looks like what happens on a television if the picture tube high voltage is out of control.]

Vision problems for HIGH blood sugar are usually cumulative -- they occur because blood sugar is consistently high. Again, vision problems range from "blurry" to white spots to black spots to total blindness.

Vision problems for LOW blood sugar are usually intermittent -- they occur only when the blood sugar drops to a certain point. Not everyone will experience vision problems with hypoglycemia.  Most people treat the "hypo" befoere it gets that bad.

Sugar HIGH "spikes" (temporary cases of hyperglycemia) have almost no symptoms.  Most people don't feel it (some complain of headaches).  It is not unusual that your daughter doesn't recognize when she is hyperglycemic.  What is damaging is the CONSISTENLY high readings (like days at a time).

Sugar LOWS (hypoglycemic) is much easier to spot -- dizziness, confusion, sweating, shaking, vision problems.  Generally speaking, this is a much more urgent problem, as the LACK of sugar can cause fainting (which at the wrong time can be fatal), and if untreated -- coma and death.

It is EXTREMLY important that the diabetic monitor blood sugar (with the finger stick and meter) many times throughout the day -- at least 3-4, if not 6-8.  If you're working with a 6-year-old, YOU are going to have to do it. [School children -- have the school nurse or principal do it.]

Yes, it hurts.  It might  help to get one of those newer meters which allow samples to be taken from locations other than the fingers (like forearms).  Those other locations don't hurt so much, AND give you a better chance for "rotation"

But it is VITAL that the diabetc keep the blood sugars as consistently close to normal (80-120) as possible at all times.  This will avoid the "cumulative damage" of high blood sugars, and avoid the intermittent problems associated with hypoglycemic attacks.

Answer 2

My vision just gets a little fuzzy.  I can still see everything fine, just not as clear.  Its the kind of fuzzy vision you might get if you haven't slept well, or if you've stayed up all night.  When I was first diagnosed, I had blurry vision to the point where I couldn't see a persons face if they stood more than 2 feet away from me.  Blurry vision is one of the last things I notice though.  Usually my head feels funny (feels like it weighs more..lol), I get really sluggish, and my whole body feels really warm.  Then sometimes if my sugar gets high enough, it feels like my sugar is low instead (that usually doesn't happen unless my sugar is close to 400..which is rare).  For me, highs are a lot more difficult to recognize.  Usually I don't feel any different until my sugar is 250+, and other times I'll feel fine when it's above 300.  There's some diabetics who don't even recognize the symptoms of high blood sugar.  95% of the time I feel lows when my sugar is between 50 and 60.  Lows are also way more noticable to me than highs are.

Answer 3

I would describe it as things looking fuzzy and hard to see. You can have blurry vision after diagnosis. It is very hard to keep perfect control in a child and often the only way to know is to check it out with a blood sugar check. Also there could be a vision problem separate from diabetes. Maybe she needs glasses and that would not be changed from blood sugar numbers. It might be worth it to get her eyes checked for glasses. Other  symptoms of high sugars are not feeling well being more tired and thirsty, those might be easier to notice for a young kid. It will be hard she is 6 and kids just don't pay attention to their body cues yet at that age.  

Answer 4

I have diabetes as well. When your blood sugar is high, you get blurred vision. You'll see halos around car headlights and other lights etc. You'll have difficulty seeing small print. I would say that "blurred" vision definitely describes it. The problem is that vision seems to fluctuate so much, depending on how high your blood sugar is that it's not really consistant. One day,you see pretty well and then the next day (depending on what you eat), you need 3x the magnification on your glasses. I have quite a number of glasses that I keep handy, just for that reason.  To answer your question, no it's not something that you can blink away. It's not like having an eyelash in your eye or anything like that - it's like your vision has completely changed and you really just need much stronger magnification to see the same things you saw the day before, with no glasses on.  I was told that when your blood sugar is high, it gets re-distributed to different areas of your body. When you're experiencing blurred vision, it's actually because the excess sugar is storing up behind your eye.