About 29.1 Americans suffer from diabetes— a condition that affects your pancreas’ ability to produce insulin, a chemical that helps to regulate your blood sugar. If left undiagnosed and untreated, diabetes can cause extreme health problems and can even lead to an early death. However, for individuals who are among those millions of Americans who are aware of their diabetes and actively care for their blood sugar through diet and insulin, diabetes can be manageable and patients can live a full and healthy life. As part of the diabetic treatment, it’s important for patients to take good care of their eyes as well and visit an ophthalmologist regularly. Read on to learn more.
Get Checked for Retinopathy
Everybody with any sort of vision problems should be visiting their ophthalmologist at least once a year. However, patients with diabetes might want to see their ophthalmologist even more frequently. Because diabetes can cause nerve damage throughout the body, including the eyes, it’s important to get your eyes checked frequently by a professional to assess whether or not you have suffered from any eye damage. Patients with diabetes typically suffer from an eye condition called retinopathy which causes damage to the small blood vessels found in the retina. Make sure to have your eye doctor check you for diabetic induced retinopathy on a regular basis. If found early on, you and your ophthalmologist can work to protect your eyes from further damage.
Be Mindful of Changes
Just as you would visit your primary health care provider if you noticed drastic changes in your overall health, the same concept should be applied towards eye care. If you notice that you are suffering from the following vision related problems, make sure to schedule an appointment with the Wilkinson Eye Center as soon as possible:
• Blurred Vision
• Double Vision
• Pain in the Eyes
• You Have Trouble Reading
• You See Spots or Floaters
Taking care of your body when you have diabetes is about more than just taking insulin and counting carbs. In fact, it’s important for you to ensure that things like your vision aren’t being negatively impacted by your diabetes. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact Wilkinson Eye Center today!
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