Artificial Sweeteners & Your Vision

If you’re trying to watch your weight by using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, you may see an effect on your vision (which can be especially troublesome if you’ve already invested in better vision through Tidewater Eye).

• Certain artificial sweeteners, such as cyclamates, may make your eyes more sensitive to light (according to WebMD).
• Blurred vision, eye pain and in extreme cases blindness can be a side-effect of sweeteners like aspartame.

Every person’s ability to handle artificial sweeteners is completely different. For some people, incorporating small amounts of these sugar substitutes will help in weight loss. However, others may be more susceptible to not only vision changes but other negative side-effects, including:

• Weight gain
• Mood swings
• Headaches
• Abdominal pain
• Dizziness
• And more

In fact, some nutritionists call artificial sweeteners “poison,” even though they have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. Not all sugar substitutes in foods are obvious; read labels to identify what you are consuming (aceslufame-K, sucralose, saccharin, aspartame, etc.).

Know your body. Know your vision. If you are experiencing any negative symptoms, contact your doctor to get checked out. You don’t want to put your health or your vision in jeopardy by the foods you are eating. And you don’t want to offset any strides you’ve made to achieve better vision.

If you’ve had to wear glasses for most of your life to correct blurry vision, and you’ve been thinking about having LASIK in Cheasapeke, Virginia Beach, our doctors at Tidewater Eye offers free LASIK Consultations.  Call 757-483-0400 or website to schedule your appointment today.