{"id":10329,"date":"2021-03-18T05:51:55","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T05:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=10329"},"modified":"2021-08-12T06:35:10","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T06:35:10","slug":"can-sugar-affect-eye-health","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Sugar Affect Eye Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>We all enjoy a sweet treat now and then, but too much sugar in our diet can come at a price.<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s how eating excessive amounts of refined sugar can impact your vision and eye health, and how we can help.<\/p>\n<p>Did you know that the average American consumes a shocking 61 pounds of refined sugar per year?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Although delicious, sugar in excessive amounts can pose serious damage to your overall health, including your eyes. In fact, sugar has been linked to several serious eye conditions and diseases.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Although sweet treats may look appealing, they can have a devastating and long lasting impact on the eyes and vision.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-diabetes-and-the-eyes\/why-does-diabetes-cause-blurry-vision\/\">High blood sugar levels<\/a> are a strong risk factor resulting in several sight-threatening eye diseases.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you have been having issues with your blood sugar levels <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\">contact an eye doctor near you<\/a> to discuss the best options to maintain your clear and comfortable vision.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/eyes-and-obesity\/\">Eyes and Obesity<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>How does sugar affect the eyes?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>The link between sugar and eye health is well established, but not as well known. Here\u2019s how consuming too much sugar can harm your eyes and vision.<\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Diabetic Retinopathy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-diabetes-and-the-eyes\/diabetic-retinopathy\/\">Diabetic retinopathy<\/a> is a complication of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and can lead to blindness if left untreated.<\/p>\n<p><b>In diabetic retinopathy, the high levels of sugar in the blood damage the delicate, tiny blood vessels in the retina, leading to bleeding and scarring inside the eye.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Diabetics can help prevent or minimize the damage caused by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-diabetes-and-the-eyes\/diabetic-retinopathy\/\">diabetic retinopathy<\/a> by maintaining a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-diabetes-and-the-eyes\/why-does-diabetes-cause-blurry-vision\/\">stable blood sugar level<\/a>, exercising, and regularly visiting their eye doctor.<\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Glaucoma<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>High blood sugar and insulin levels can cause the eyes\u2019 blood vessels to narrow, causing a buildup of fluid that can\u2019t properly drain, resulting in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/glaucoma-guide\/glaucoma-faqs\/\">glaucoma<\/a>.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>With glaucoma, this fluid buildup increases inner eye pressure, which leads to optic nerve damage.<\/p>\n<p>In 90% of glaucoma cases there are no early symptoms or warning signs as the pressure builds, so people aren\u2019t aware that their eyesight is being irreparably damaged.<\/p>\n<p><b>People with diabetes are almost twice as likely to develop <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/glaucoma-guide\/glaucoma-faqs\/\">glaucoma<\/a> as those without diabetes<\/b>.<\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Cataracts<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Your eye\u2019s natural lens allows your eye to focus light on your retina. In a healthy eye, the lens is clear, but in a person with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-cataracts\/cataract-faqs\/\">cataracts<\/a>, the lens is clouded, making it difficult for the eye to focus incoming light.<\/p>\n<p><b>Elevated blood sugar can cause the lens to swell and puts you at a higher risk of developing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/guide-to-cataracts\/cataract-faqs\/\">cataracts<\/a><\/b>.<\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/macular-degeneration-guide\/macular-degeneration-myths-and-facts\/\">AMD<\/a> occurs when the macula, the central portion of the retina, deteriorates impairing central vision and affecting one\u2019s ability to drive, read, watch TV and other daily activities.<\/p>\n<p><b>Several studies have linked a high-glycemic (high sugar\/carbohydrate) diet with the onset and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/macular-degeneration-guide\/macular-degeneration-myths-and-facts\/\">progression of AMD<\/a><\/b>.<\/p>\n<h2><b>How eye doctors help?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Keeping your eyes healthy goes beyond a healthy diet and lifestyle \u2014 you also need yearly eye exams to detect early signs of eye disease.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/\">Guide to Eye Health<\/a><\/p>\n<p><i>If you have high blood sugar levels it is essential to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"> schedule regular eye exams<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><em>Eye doctors can provide a wide range of eye care services, including diabetic eye care and will guide you on the optimum options to maintain your clear vision and healthy eyes.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all enjoy a sweet treat now and then, but too much sugar in our diet can come at a price. Here\u2019s how eating excessive<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10330,"parent":5444,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[156,242,359,216,168,147,241,362,337,142,299],"class_list":["post-10329","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-blurry","tag-cataract","tag-diabetic-retinopathy","tag-disease","tag-eye-doctor","tag-eye-exam","tag-glaucoma","tag-macula-edema","tag-macular-degeneration","tag-vision","tag-vision-loss"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Can Sugar Affect Eye Health? - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can Sugar Affect Eye Health? - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We all enjoy a sweet treat now and then, but too much sugar in our diet can come at a price. Here\u2019s how eating excessive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-08-12T06:35:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/sugar.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/\",\"name\":\"Can Sugar Affect Eye Health? - Optometrists.org\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/sugar.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-18T05:51:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-08-12T06:35:10+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/sugar.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/sugar.jpg\",\"width\":640,\"height\":350},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Primary Eye Care\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Guide to Eye Health\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Eyes and Nutrition\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Can Sugar Affect Eye Health?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/\",\"name\":\"Optometrists.org\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Can Sugar Affect Eye Health? - Optometrists.org","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-health\/eyes-and-nutrition\/can-sugar-affect-eye-health\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Can Sugar Affect Eye Health? - Optometrists.org","og_description":"We all enjoy a sweet treat now and then, but too much sugar in our diet can come at a price. 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