The Eye Care
& Surgery Center notes that Prevent Blindness America has
designated November as National Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. Diabetes affects more
than 25 million people in the United States and is the leading cause of new
cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age. Most disturbing is that almost
8 million
people ages 40 and older have Diabetic Retinopathy with the potential for
vision loss. Although there is no cure
for diabetic eye disease, annual eye exams for diabetes patients are essential
to help slow the progression of the disease.
Preventing Vision
Loss from Diabetic Eye Disease & Retinopathy
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 The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or
facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.
With
locations at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10
Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite
1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, The Eye Care &
Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice conveniently located for
patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.
