November is National Diabetes Awareness Month!

Diabetes is becoming more and more prevalent in our country. Today, 21 million Americans have Diabetes and it is estimated that one third of this population do not even know they have the condition. During the month of November, I am proud to spotlight the importance of frequent eye exams for individuals with Diabetes and those at risk for this disease.

Dilated eye exams at appropriate intervals are extremely important for individuals with Diabetes and those at risk for this disease due to the possibility of substantial vision loss with long term uncontrolled Diabetic eye disease. In these cases of advanced diabetic retinopathy, an individual may have irreversible vision loss or even total blindness as a result. To avoid these complications to your eyes make sure to include your eye doctor in your team of healthcare professionals and to visit us regularly just as you would with your primary care physician and dentist. As your eye care team we can often be your first line of detection for diabetes due to the findings of your annual dilated eye exam. The photos above show retinal photos taken during a comprehensive eye exam, the top image show a normal healthy retina while the bottom image displays the damage that can be done by advanced diabetic eye disease. At my practice we are helping to contribute to a healthier patient population by meeting three specific objectives set by the American Optometric Association and their National Diabetes Month Campaign. These three vision objectives of the Healthy People 2010 campaign are: to increase the proportion of persons who have a dilated eye examination at appropriate intervals, reduce visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy, and to increase vision rehabilitation.