November is National Diabetes Month
Did you know that diabetes is the main cause of impaired vision among men and women aged 20-74 years? In just the last four years, over 4 million people in North America suffering from diabetes were diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. Of this group, 70,000 suffered from severe diabetic retinopathy, which, if left unmonitored, would lead to untreatable vision loss.
While not every individual is at risk of diabetic retinopathy, it is essential to be aware of the link between the disease and vision loss.
An existing diagnosis of diabetes is the first risk factor. Anyone in this category should ensure that they have an eye exam once a year. The longer the affliction goes unmonitored, the greater the risk of diabetes related vision loss. Timely treatment is necessary to preventing further deterioration. Women who have had gestational diabetes also have a lifetime higher risk of developing diabetes mellitus.
You may be curious as to why all the concern: wouldn’t there be symptoms if you were losing your sight?
Well the answer surprisingly is, not always. There are several sorts of diabetic retinopathy, and only those in the acute phases are noticeable. Advanced diabetes may have no symptoms. Macular edema can result in serious sight loss. Both afflictions can appear without noticeable signs.
There are distinct parts to a comprehensive eye exam which will detect the tell-tale signs of long-term or uncontrolled diabetes in the eye, such as a swelling of the retina, the existence of fatty deposits on the retina, leaky blood vessels, and damaged nerve tissue. In a dilated eye exam, the eye doctor puts drops in your eyes to enlarge the size of your pupil and thus make it possible to identify signs of diabetic retinopathy. Photography and ocular coherence tomograpy (OCT for short) are essential tools for monitoring retinal health on a regular basis. If you are diabetic, it is imperative to schedule an eye exam as part of your diabetes maintenance program at least annually. We are pleased to work together with your primary care physician and dietitician to help you make healthy lifestyle choices and enjoy good vision for life.
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