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Free screening available Eye exams urged for people with diabetes  MUSC's Storm Eye Institute will offer a free screening for diabetic retinopathy on Nov. 10. To make an appointment, call MUSC Health Connection at (843) 792-1414. About 10.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes. Between 40 and 45 percent of them have some degree of diabetic retinopathy, a potentially blinding eye disease that is a complication of diabetes. The Storm Eye Institute urges people with diabetes to have an annual dilated eye exam to detect eye disease in its early stages and help prevent vision loss. “Diabetic retinopathy has no early warning signs, so you may not notice changes in your vision until it's too late,” said Sarah Elsing, M.D., retina specialist of the  Storm Eye Institute. “With early detection, routine monitoring, and timely treatment with laser surgery, vision can be saved in more than 90 percent of those who would otherwise become blind from the disease. That's why it's important for people with diabetes to have dilated eye exam at least once a year.” Carolyn C. Cavanaugh, R.N., MUSC patient educator, said people with diabetes can slow the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy and reduce the likelihood of vision loss through better control of blood sugar levels. “A program of diet and exercise is a great way to help control blood sugar levels,” she said. Diabetic retinopathy is one of a group of eye problems, including cataract and glaucoma, that may develop as a complication of diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy may cause blood vessels in the retina to swell and leak fluid, leading to blurred vision. Sometimes fragile blood vessels grow abnormally in the retina and bleeding may result. The longer you have diabetes, the greater the chance that you will develop diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes, you are 25 times more likely to lose vision than someone who does not have it. To learn more about diabetic eye disease, a free brochure, Don't Lose Sight of Diabetic Eye Disease, is available by calling Cavanaugh at 792-4735.