Do Eye Exams Detect Diabetes and Retinopathy

Roughly 90 percent of diabetes-related blindness could be prevented by getting an annual eye exam. Make that all important appointment with your eye doctor now!Recent health studies show that as many as 24,000 people lose their sight annually to diabetes and diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the U.S.. Below are a few other surprising facts about diabetes54 million Americans have pre-diabetes and most dont understand itNearly 24 million Americans have diabetesOver 4 million in the UK have diabetesOne in 3 individuals with diabetes do not know they have itRecent research from the U.S. National Eye Institute showed that 8 percent of pre-diabetics were already showing signs of retinopathyLifestyle dangers to diabetes are physical inactivity, poor diet, and obesityDiabetes has genetic factors like family history and ethnicityDark Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Asian and Pacific Islanders are at greater riskOthers at greater risk include older people, those with gestational diabetes, obesity, and babies weighing over nine pounds at birthCheck for early eye problemsEarly phases of retinopathy can tag along with pre-diabetes. Dr. Anastasios Fokas, OD, of Queens, New York City, has seen for himself the way quickly eye problems can start with pre-diabetes. A couple of months back, he saw a patient that had recently been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. To check for early eye problems, hed a dilated exam. Sure enough, the disease was already at work.Call Your OptometristA medical exam the following day did indeed show the patient had diabetes. Whats more, her blood sugar level was more than quadruple whats normal. Insulin therapy and a fresh approach to diet and exercise came next.Dr. Clary talked with her individual about what she saw and clarified what it might mean. I would like you to have your blood sugar level checked right away by your family physician, she told her patient. Tell the doctor you want to get assessed for diabetes with a fasting blood glucose test, as your optometrist noticed some retinal bleeding.Were you aware that an eye exam can be the first hint to detecting diabetes and other hidden health issues? Locating health problems early may give patients a better chance at preventing harm through early treatment and management.A routine eye exam can show a lot of matters. Some can be downright life altering and life threatening for that issue. One doctor found out first-hand when she did the exact same thing she does every day she looked right into a patients mind. However, this was no ordinary exam.24,000 people lose their sight annually to diabetes annuallyThe eye exam was that the very first clue that the patient had that she may have diabetes.Right away, I found two tiny spots of blood in the retina of one eye, he states. Those blood stains were a sure sign of diabetic retinopathy.Fast forward a few months, and youd find a lot happier Dr. Clary and even healthier patient. The retinal bleeding had ceased, and her vision had started to improve, says the Virginia doctor. I think her vision has very likely been spared because she was able to catch her uncontrolled diabetes at the first stages, before major damage to her retina.I am glad I managed to help this patient protect her eyesight. That retinal examination really made a difference and its a good example of why I tell patients that a yearly eye exam can secure your vision and your health!Locating this early gave the individual a fantastic shot at preventing more harm. Dietary counseling, treatments and exercise, like laser treatment, can assist, says Dr. Fokas.The outcome is often that which we call diabetic retinopathyAs soon as I discovered the leaking fluids and the hemorrhaging, I guessed that they could be symptoms of melancholy, remembers Dr. Clary, who practices in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Ashburn, Virginia. In my 12 decades of experience as an eye doctor, that sort of bleeding usually signals that a buildup of sugar in the patients blood has begun to break down the capillaries that feed the retina.The outcome is often that which we call diabetic retinopathy a condition in which continuing damage to retinal tissue from diabetes can result in impaired vision or even blindness, if left untreated.When Kathleen Clary, OD, peered into her 48-year-old patients eyes, she saw blood and other fluids seeping from brittle and miniscule vessels in her retinas. The retina is the light and sight-sensing back part of the eye and with out that you dont see.So be sure to call your optometrist or doctor today and get your eyes thoroughly checked. Better to be safe than sorry.https://youtu.be/lC4L2S3u0TIFor more information visit our websitehttps://www.controllingdiabetes.co.uk/

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Uploaded on September 29, 2017
Taken on September 29, 2017