Three blind mice...see how they eat What you don't know about hypoglycemia might not kill you, but it could cause you to go blind. The link between vision loss and diabetes is already pretty well known, but new research shows that the sight-damaging effects start even before full-blown diabetes has set in. In this study, researchers from SUNY Upstate Medical University examined the visual acuity of mice that had been bred to be hypoglycemic. They found that as the mice aged, they not only lost retinal function, but they actually experienced cell death in their retinas. And the worse the hypoglycemia, the worse the vision problems. The trick here is to determine whether or not you're hypoglycemic and to recognize the symptoms of plummeting blood sugar levels so that you can keep dramatic retina-damaging swings from happening in the first place. This little bit of knowledge could save your vision and keep you from ever developing diabetes. What is...hypoglycemia? Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when blood sugar levels fall below normal. It occurs when your body's glucose is used up too rapidly, when glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly, or when too much insulin is released into the bloodstream. Some of the most common symptoms of hypoglycemia are fatigue, nervousness, trembling, headache, hunger, cold sweats, and blurred or double vision. Sources: "Hypoglycemia promotes vision loss in mice," Reuters Health news, 12/14/06 "Hypoglycemia leads to age-related loss of vision," Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2006; 103: 19,541-19,545 | 
