'I didn't take care of diabetes and lost my sight'

Chris McDonnell started to lose his sight in one eye when he was in his 20s

"As a teenager I completely rebelled against my diabetes and didn't take care of my diabetes," Chris McDonnell said.

The 44-year-old from Guernsey was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was nine and started to lose his sight in one eye when he was in his 20s.

"I didn't take the advice from the doctors as I should."

He is now urging others with the condition to make sure they have regular eye screening tests, and follow medical advice.

'Amputations of my toes'

"I was completely blind to the condition. It was my pancreas that wasn't working but the reality is that diabetes can have so many complications like eye sight and loss of limbs."

Mr McDonnell admits he did not follow advice when it came to keeping his blood sugar levels under control with insulin injections.

"I was supposed to take four injections a day and I didn't do that. I probably took two, so my blood sugar was probably skyrocketing.

"In my late 20s and early 30s I started seeing the signs of the complications of diabetes so amputations of my toes and then the loss of sight so it's been quite impactful."

Stephen Watson is an Optometrist at Specsavers and Dianne Mathews is the Strategic Lead for Screening at Public Health in Guernsey

Regular eye screening is recommended for people with diabetes as they are more at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, which can sometimes lead to sight loss.

Diabetic retinopathy is caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the retina in the back of the eye, according to the NHS.

It can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated.

McDonnell said: "I had the feeling that it's not going to be me, I'm not going to suffer complications.

"But without getting those tests done, does mean you risk having problems in the future."

Stephen Watson, an optometrist, said "early detection and diagnosis of diabetic eye disease can reduce sight loss by up to 90%".

Optometrists take photos of the back of the retina to see how diabetes is affecting the eye.

They look for changes inside the blood vessels in the eye, like a blockage or a leakage.

As diabetic retinopathy does not show any symptoms in the early stages, it can become quite advanced before a person starts to notice it.

'Screening is really important'

Dianne Mathews, the strategic lead for screening at Public Health in Guernsey said "not as many people with diabetes are taking up the opportunity for screening as there could be".

The government covers the cost of diabetic eye checks in Guernsey - it is different to a normal sight test appointment.

Mrs Mathews said: "Not everyone is aware that diabetes can affect the eyes and the screening is a really important part of diabetes management, so we're really pleased to be able to offer the eye screening yearly."