Learn About Diabetic Retinopathy and Blindness During National Diabetes Month

Diabetes is the leading cause of impaired vision among men and women aged 20-74 years. In just the last four years, over four million people in North America suffering from diabetes were tested positive for diabetic retinopathy. Of this group, 70,000 suffered from acute diabetic retinopathy, which, if left unmonitored, will lead to total blindness.

So, how crucial is it to get examined for diabetic retinopathy?

Having diabetes is the first risk factor. One method to learn if you have diabetic retinopathy is to have your optometrist give you a complete eye test yearly. The longer the affliction remains unmonitored, the stronger the danger of diabetes related blindness. Timely treatment will go a long way in preventing further damage.

Pregnant women that have been found to have diabetes have a higher likelihood of contracting diabetic retinopathy. It is crucial to schedule a complete dilated eye test after diagnosis as well.

You may ask yourself why all the concern? Wouldn't there be tell tale symptoms if you were going blind?

Well the answer surprisingly is not always. There are different kinds of diabetic retinopathy, and only those in the severe phases are noticeable. Proliferative diabetes can have no symptoms. Macular edema is another diabetes related disease which results in serious vision deterioration. Both conditions can develop without noticeable signs. This is a reason that early discovery is key to preventing lasting loss.

A complete assessment will search for symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. There are distinct phases to this exam which will detect the tell-tale signs, such as leaky blood vessels, swelling of the retina, the buildup of fatty deposits on the retina, and damaged nerve tissue. Want to know what are the steps in a complete eye exam?

First of all you will undergo a visual acuity examination by means of an eye chart which is used to check how well you see at varying distances. This is similar to the visual acuity checks given by your optometrist, to see if you require corrective lenses.

While giving a dilated eye exam, the optometrist places drops in your eyes to amplify the size of your pupils. Not a favorite of the squeamish, but it can save you deterioration in your vision later on. This practice makes it easier to monitor more of the inside of your eyes to check for distinct symptoms that indicate the presence of diabetic retinopathy. The short discomfort could save your eye sight.

Regularly monitor your eye sight. Even a little laziness can cause irreversible loss. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it is crucial to plan an eye test with your eye doctor once a year without fail.