How to Tell If Blood Sugar Might Be a Problem

Hannah Nunn
Aug 6
2 min read

Even if you don’t have diabetes, your blood sugar could be affecting your eyes—and your energy

Most people assume that if they haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes, their blood sugar must be fine.

But here’s the truth: blood sugar issues often go undetected for years. And during that time, those blood sugar swings may be quietly damaging your retina, increasing inflammation, and accelerating AMD progression.

So how do you know if blood sugar is something you should look at? Let’s talk about it.

Why Blood Sugar Matters for Eye Health

When your blood sugar is unstable (think highs and crashes), it creates a ripple effect throughout the body.

Over time, it can:

Damage the tiny blood vessels in your eyes
Trigger inflammation and oxidative stress
Disrupt mitochondrial energy production
Raise insulin levels, which increase VEGF (a key driver in wet AMD)

This happens even before blood sugar reaches diabetic levels—and long before you’d be flagged by standard blood tests.

So How Do You Know If It’s a Problem?

There are signs—your body’s subtle ways of telling you it’s not coping well with the sugar rollercoaster.

Some of the most common ones I see in my clients:

Mid-morning or mid-afternoon energy crashes
Feeling hungry or irritable if a meal is delayed
Cravings for sweet or starchy foods
Feeling sleepy after eating
Brain fog or lack of focus
Difficulty losing weight (especially around the middle)
Needing caffeine to get through the day
Frequent snacking or grazing
Disrupted sleep

These may seem “normal,” but they can be signs of metabolic stress.

Take the Self-Check: Blood Sugar & Energy Questionnaire

I’ve created a short questionnaire to help you assess how well your body is coping with blood sugar. It’s not a diagnostic tool—but it is a great way to notice symptoms you might be tolerating or overlooking.

There are 2 sections to the questionnaire. If your score in each section is under 16 – fantastic! You’re likely managing your blood sugar well.

If your score in each section is more than 16 – your body may be struggling more than you realise.

It could be a sign that your blood sugar is out of balance and may be affecting your eye health.

Download the questionnaire here. (It takes 2 minutes to complete and may give you a whole new perspective on your daily symptoms.)

What Happens Next?

If your score is higher than ideal—or if it simply makes you think, “Yes, that’s me”—that’s a sign to take the next step. You don’t need to panic or overhaul everything overnight, but it might be time to: