November has been designated National Diabetic Eye Disease
Awareness Month-a time to consider the diabetes
related eye problems and their prevention. Connecticut eye physician &
surgeon Leslie Doctor, M.D.
reviewed information from Prevent Blindness America. “What
we know from the most recent Prevent Blindness America Vision Problems in
the U.S. report is that diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness
in adults 20-74 years of age. This is compounded by the data from the Centers
for Disease Control indicating that diabetes affects 25.8 million people in the
United States and is really an American epidemic. Although there is no cure for
diabetic eye disease, annual eye exams for diabetes patients are essential to
help prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy and its related
complications,” said Dr. Doctor.
The Prevent Blindness America Vision Problems in
the U.S. identified that there are almost 8 million people ages 40
and older who have diabetic retinopathy. This represents an 89 percent increase
between the years 2000-2012. “While it is not surprising that the incidence of
some eye diseases and problems is increasing with the aging of the baby boomer
population, it is terribly disturbing to see the dramatic spike in diabetic
retinopathy cases, a consequence of the diabetes epidemic that this country is
experiencing with no end in sight,” Dr. Doctor explained.
The vision loss from diabetic
retinopathy can be prevented if it's caught early and treated in time.
More than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to
vision care guidelines recommending a dilated eye exam every year.
As part of Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month we are
urging people with diabetes to have a dilated eye exam every year. The longer a
person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing diabetic
retinopathy. However, diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people who have
had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two
after the onset of the disease. In addition to having regular eye examinations
and testing at the direction of your eye doctor, patients can help to reduce
the risk of developing diabetic eye disease
by not smoking, controlling their cholesterol and lipid profile and
blood pressure, as well as working to eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fish,
fruit and green leafy vegetables and exercising.
If
you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they
should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams
by calling Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113,
visiting Doctor
& Associates or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an
appointment.
Doctor & Associates is a
leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North,
Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148
East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.
