My mother was a type 2 diabetic and died from complications of the disease. I have been tested yearly for diabetes through my physician. I now test my sugar three or four times per day. It ranges from 95 to 135 mg/dl [5.3 to 7.5 mmol/L] normally. I have tested higher, but can usually attribute that to high contents of sugar in my diet or an illness. My vision has recently failed and quite quickly. I have cataracts in both eyes. Could this be due to my sugar levels?

With the little information you have provided, I cannot say why you have developed cataracts nor why they seem to have developed “quickly”. I do not know your age. Cataracts are a “normal” change in the lens of ours eyes as we become older. Typically, cataracts start to appear in the late 50s and may need surgery in the late 60s/early 70s. You did not say if you have diabetes or not. People with diabetes do tend to develop cataracts at an earlier age and, at times, the cataract may develop rapidly. There are other causes of early cataract development such as a history of eye trauma, chronic use of certain topical or systemic medications. I cannot say if your sugar readings would be a factor in your cataract development.

The good news is, if your retina is healthy, the majority of patients achieve very good vision results after cataract removal. Cataract surgery is one of the most common, and probably one of the safest, surgeries done today. Please have your eyes examined by an anterior segment ophthalmologist and ask for his opinion and advice.

CAG