Diabetes And Eye Health: A Closer Look

Thursday, March 1, 2012

(NAPSA)—Those with diabetes should take a good look at their eye health. That’s the word from the American Diabetes Association. It reports that nearly 26 million people in the United States have diabetes and 12,000—24,000 people lose their sight because of the disease each year. The American Optometric Association (AOA) encourages Americans with diabetes to schedule annual, dilated eye examinations to help detect and prevent eye and vision disorders that could lead to blindness. Diabetic Eye Disorders People with diabetes are at a significantly higher risk for developing eye diseases including glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy, one of the mostserious sight-threatening complications of diabetes. Consider the following: *Those with diabetes are 40 percent more likely to suffer from glaucoma than people without diabetes. *Those with diabetes are 60 percent more likely to develop cataracts. People with diabetes also tend to get them at a younger age and have them progressfaster. With cataracts, the eye’s clear lens clouds, blocking light and interfering with normalvision. * Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that causes progressive damageto the retina, the lightsensitive lining at the back of the eye. Damageto the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina causes swelling of retinal tissue and clouding of vision. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness. Since early warningsignsof diabetic eye and vision disorders are often subtle or undetected, the AOA recommends that people—especially African Americans and His- People with diabetesare at a sig- nificantly higher risk for developing a number of eye diseases including glaucoma, cataracts anddiabetic retinopathy. panics, who have a higherrisk of developing diabetes—lookfor initial signs and contact a doctor of optometry if any of the following symptoms are present: sudden blurred or double vision, trouble reading or focusing on near-work, eye pain or pressure, a noticeable aura or dark ring around lights or illuminated objects, visible dark spots in vision or imagesofflashinglights. Eye Health Tips In addition to having yearly, comprehensive eye exams, the AOAoffers the following tips to help prevent or slow the development of diabetic eye diseases: Take prescribed medication as directed. *Keep glycohemoglobin test results (“Alc,” or average blood sugar level) consistently under 7 percent. Stick to a healthy diet that includes omega-3s, fresh fruits and vegetables. Exercise regularly. Control high blood pressure. Avoid alcohol and smoking. For more information on eye health, visit www.aoa.org.

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