My eight year old daughter, who has had type 1 diabetes for three months, has been complaining that her eyes have been hurting, itching, watery, sometimes red, and not seeing clearing when reading since being diagnosed. Could the diabetes be causing the eye problems at her age? I plan on mentioning this at her check-up.

Diabetic eye complications are very rare before puberty and in someone who has had type 1 less than three to five years. So, you can rest assured there is not a serious situation developing.

The symptoms that your daughter may be experiencing could partly be “normal” allergy type problems (redness, itching and wateriness) or eye strain with near tasks. The difficulty of not seeing well when reading may be an indication of a need for glasses and coincidental that it has occurred at this time.

There is a shift in the visual focus (optics) of the eye when one goes from a hyperglycemic state to a normal glycemic state which an uncover a focusing problem at near or distance (not usually both) that was masked by the hyperglycemia. Once the blood sugar is in the normal range what her vision is at that time is her true optical state and glasses may be needed. I suggest she have her eyes examined and specifically tested at near as well as distance.

CAG