Diabetes & Eye Health — Why You Shouldn’t Wait for Symptoms
While we love to bring the fun, fashion, and individuality into optics here at The Optical Gallery, let’s not forget, first and foremost, we are opticians. And your health is always at the heart of everything we do.
Outside of the practice, I’m also an official writer for TEF Magazine (The Eyewear Forum), a space where I cover trends, insights, and conversations shaping the optical industry. One person I met at our Theo Eyewear London exhibition was Beedie, an optometrist and content creator who shares a similar passion for educating and inspiring through optics. Since then, I’ve been a regular viewer and contributor around her content, especially when it speaks to topics that matter.
Her latest podcast episode is one of them. 🎧 You can watch the full episode here:
Beedie sits down with Consultant Ophthalmologist Daren Hanumunthadu to unpack how diabetes affects the eyes, and why early screening and regular eye exams are so important. Diabetes can damage your retina silently, with no symptoms. By the time your vision starts to change, irreversible damage may have already been done. And yet, so many people still believe they'll "feel" something first.
The UK is lucky to have a world-leading Diabetic Eye Screening Programme, but screening alone isn’t enough. You still need regular full eye exams to monitor your overall eye health, diabetic or not.
What I love about this episode is that it’s not full of jargon. Beedie has a real gift for asking the right questions and breaking things down in a way that’s relatable and easy to digest.
And if you haven’t had an eye test in the last year or two, whether you’re diabetic or not, this is your reminder to get booked in. We’re here to help, not just with eyewear, but with your long-term vision and wellbeing.
