Diabetes is an illness that hits close to home for me and my family. During the past decade, she has struggled with Type 2 diabetes and over the last two years has battled a war with kidney failure and dialysis.
Diabetes is the number one cause of all recent agents of blindness in the United States among patients 24 to 74 years of age, according to Transitions Optical’sHealthy Sight Institute. Although this metabolic disorder is mainly diagnosed by a primary healthcare provider like an internist, pediatrician or endocrinologist, an eyecare professional can also detect the ocular signs of the disease. Diabetic patients may develop certain vision conditions because the eye is one of the principal organs affected by diabetes.
Due to my mother’s illness, my family regularly get our vision checked. I am at a greater risk to inherit diabetes, kidney failure, vision loss, and other ailments and many of them are which are worsened because of already having diabetes as a pre-existing condition. I know first-hand the importance of proper eye health and was taught as a young child. I can still remember my parents telling me as a young girl not to sit too close to the TV because it would damage my eyes or to eat more carrots so I could have better vision. I really do think their parental reminders did help so that despite genetics, I did not end up wearing glasses in my childhood, but in my mid to late teens.
“As in all areas of medicine, the key for preventing diabetic complications in the eye is early detection,” explained Madeline L. Romeu, O.D., F.A.A.O. “Diabetic patients are at greater risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, cataract, age-related macular degeneration or open angle glaucoma, all of which are vision-threatening. In fact, research shows that 23.5 percent of patients over the age of 50 will become vision impaired.”
“To prevent damage to the eyes and experience quality vision, diabetic patients should protect their eyes from harmful UV rays by wearing protective eyewear,” said Manuel Solis, multicultural marketing manager, Transitions Optical. “At Transitions Optical, we are committed to educating consumers about the proper steps to take in order to experience comfortable, quality vision. We recommend that diabetic patients consider adaptive lenses, like Transitions® lenses, which automatically darken as light conditions change to reduce glare and block 100 percent of UV rays.”
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