Save Your Vision & American Diabetes Alert Day
Save your vision month and American diabetes alert day are both recognized in
March. We encourage you to always be mindful and on top of checking your vision daily. Early detection is vital to prevent urgent vision problems. Catching a vision problem early can allow for timely treatment of eye diseases which can be crucial to preserving your eye health.
American Diabetes Alert Day is recognized on March 25th. In anticipation of this awareness date, recognizing the importance of diabetes prevention and also management are extremely important for your overall health. Are you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes? Schedule an appointment with your primary care physician.
Diabetes is a risk for your entire body including your eyes, here are a few risk factors of type 2 diabetes:
- Age- the risk of type 2 diabetes increases as you age
- Family History- If you have a parent, sibling or any other close relative with type 2 you are at a higher risk of getting it as well.
- Race/Ethnicity- African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders can have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Gestational Diabetes- If you have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes during pregnancy you are at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes as you age.
Type 2 Diabetic Risk Factors:
- Weight
- Not Being Physically Active
- Prediabetic
- High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol
- Unhealthy Diet
- Smoking
Anyone who has diabetes is at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. The best way to diagnose diabetic retinopathy is a dilated eye exam. During this exam, the physician places drops in the eyes to make the pupils dilate (open widely) to allow a better view of the inside of the eye, especially the retinal tissue. People diagnosed with diabetes should have a dilated eye exam every year. The physician will look for:
• Swelling in the retina that threatens vision (diabetic macular edema)
• Evidence of poor retina blood vessel circulation (retinal ischemia— pronounced iss KEY me uh)
• Abnormal blood vessels that may predict an increased risk of developing new blood vessels
• New blood vessels or scar tissue on the surface of the retina (proliferative diabetic retinopathy)
Treatment and Prognosis: As a result of major government- and industry-sponsored studies, there are many approved treatments for diabetic retinopathy, including intravitreal injections (small injections of medications into the middle cavity of the eye), laser treatments, and vitreous and retina prevent, treat, or reverse damage from diabetes in the retina surgery. Tennessee Retina has been part of many of these studies. These procedures can be done in an office or hospital setting to prevent, treat, or reverse damage from diabetes in the retina.
It is extremely important for diabetic patients to maintain the eye examination schedule put in place by the retina specialist and to maintain good control over blood sugar levels. How often an examination or treatment is needed depends on the severity of your disease. Through early detection, the retina specialist can begin a treatment regimen to help prevent vision loss for many patients and preserve the activities you most enjoy.
Read more about Diabetic Retinopathy