Tuesday, November 16, 2010

National Diabetes Awareness Month

November is National Diabetes Awareness month and as part of that we would like to make you aware of the importance of eyecare in Diabetic patients.

As U.S. waistbands expand, so do the numbers of people diagnosed with diabetes. In fact, it is estimated that 21 million Americans have diabetes and one-third don't know they have it. A diagnosis of diabetes can bring with it the possibility of vision loss or total blindness. The American Optometric Association encourages the public to include optometrists in their team of healthcare professionals and to visit their optometrist regularly just as they do their primary care physician and dentist.

Diabetic eye disease is silent in the early stages and if not caught early enough can cause irreversible damage to your retina and cause vision loss. It also increases your risks for other eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts. If you or a family member are diabetic, we recommend that you see your optometrist annually for a dilated eye exam to help protect your eyesight.

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