If you have diabetes, this exam could save your sight

eye health Santa Rosa, CA People with diabetes know that they can best manage the disease if they’re even more vigilant about their health than most of us. For diabetics that mean:

  • Careful, mindful eating
  • Regular exercise
  • Regular doctor visits
  • Blood level testing

There may, however, be one important vital issue that diabetics (and the rest of us) don’t monitor closely enough: our eye health.

 

Maintaining your eye health can be as simple as an eye exam

About one out of every 10 people in the U.S. is diabetic, putting them at increased risk for developing serious eye disease. At the same time, a recent study revealed that most people with diabetes don’t get an annual, sight-saving exam. In fact, the research found that more than half of diabetes patients don’t undergo the recommended dilated eye exams.
Yearly dilated eye exams should be part of everyone’s health care routine

Those of us who see our doctors for an annual exam need to include an eye exam as part of our yearly health checks. And for diabetics, that recommendation is even more crucial. That’s because annual dilated eye exams can prevent 95 percent of diabetes-related vision loss.

 

If you have diabetes, there’s something important you should know

This recent study also revealed that those who had less severe diabetes and no eye problems were the groups of patients most likely to skip important eye checks; whereas those patients who had been diagnosed with diabetic eye problems were more likely to have follow-up exams. But medical experts will agree that it’s crucial for people with diabetes to not wait until they experience vision problems to get a dilated eye exam. Here’s why:

  • Getting your eyes properly checked every year can reveal signs of disease that you might not even be aware of yet
  • The sooner a problem is identified, the more likely your vision can be preserved

 

Schedule your dilated eye exam today

Of the many extra efforts, people with diabetes take to manage their condition and their health, an annual eye exam if one of the simplest. Make your appointment by calling: (707) 546-9800.

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