Focus on This: May Is Healthy Vision Month

By Amy Campbell The merry month of May is upon us, and that means it's time to think about your vision! In 2003, the National Eye Institute declared May as Healthy Vision Month. Now is as good a time as any to make sure that you're doing all that you can to protect your vision and prevent vision loss. Diabetes and vision If you have diabetes, chances are you know that if you're not taking good care of yourself, your risk for certain types of complications goes up. Diabetic eye disease is a group of eye problems that can result in people with diabetes. Everyone with diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, is at risk for diabetic eye disease. This doesn't mean that you'll get it, but the risk is very real. Studies show that after having diabetes for 15 to 20 years, more than 90% of people with Type 1 and more than 60% of people with Type 2 will have diabetic retinopathy. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent it. Keeping your diabetes "numbers," such as A1C, blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol, within your target range is crucial. And here's the biggie: Make sure you get a dilated eye exam every year. Doing this is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent vision loss. What is diabetic eye disease? Diabetic retinopathy. The most common form of diabetic eye disease is called diabetic retinopathy, and it is the leading cause of blindness in adults. Diabetic retinopathy occurs as a result of damage to the small blood vessels in your retina. The ret...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs