I’ve got type 2 diabetes, I am taking a premixed insulin, and I have really blurred vision, which I didn’t have before I got diabetes.. How long does it take to get my vision cleared?

First, everybody over 40 years of age will eventually need glasses to see optimally. Typically, near vision change is noticed, and then, over time distance vision becomes problematic to a lesser degree. This need for a reading lens after 40 is called presbyopia and is not related to diabetes.

Secondly, changes in blood sugar causes shifts in your vision. The shift can go either way, that is, clearer or blurrier. Elevated blood sugar can mask a need for glasses in some cases when things become clearer. This can be confusing because when the blood sugar is brought under control the vision then becomes blurry — the opposite of what you might have expected. With an understanding of refractive optics and the physiological changes that occur in hyperglycemic states, this can be explained.

What is important to remember is you cannot monitor your blood sugar by what your vision is doing, and when your blood sugar is again normal, your vision at that time is your true vision, be it clearer or blurrier. A change in your eyeglass prescription or first time glasses is then needed and your vision becomes clear once again.

CAG

[Editor’s comment: In the meantime, while your blood sugar and vision are changing, it’s usually advised not to spend money on expensive eyeglasses, but wait it out, and maybe try some inexpensive magnifiers from a drugstore or other store.

WWQ]