SEI to offer free diabetic retinopathy screening Nov. 19There are approximately 29 million Americans age 20 and older who have diabetes and more than half are at risk for vision loss because they do not know they have the disease.“This is a tragedy waiting to happen because people with diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy, a degenerative disease of the retina (the sensitive area at the back of the eye), which affects 5.3 million Americans age 18 and older,” said Peggy Lindsey, M.D., retina specialist at MUSC Storm Eye Institute. More than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to vision care guidelines by obtaining a dilated eye exam every year. So, as part of November’s Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, ophthal-mologists across the country are urging Americans with diabetes to have a dilated eye exam every year. Pregnant women with diabetes should have an eye exam in the first trimester, since diabetic eye disease can progress rapidly during pregnancy. MUSC’S Storm Eye Institute is offering a free diabetic retinopathy screening Nov. 19. To make an appointment call Health Connection at 792-1414. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk is for developing diabetic retinopathy. However, diabetic retinopathy not only affects people who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease. For some people, diabetic retinopathy is one of the first signs that they have diabetes said Kenneth Sharpe, M.D., retina specialist at MUSC Storm Eye Institute. High blood sugar levels can weaken blood vessels in the eye’s retina causing them to leak blood or fluid. This causes the retina to swell and form deposits that can lead to vision loss. Blood sugar fluctuations can also promote growth of new, fragile blood vessels on the retina, which can break easily and leak blood into the vitreous (the clear, jelly-like substance that fills the center of the eye.) This can also blur vision and lead to permanent vision impairment. High blood pressure and smoking can further damage to blood vessels. What are the signs to look for? “There may be no symptoms at first with diabetic retinopathy, and yet the disease may be progressing.” said Carolyn Cavanaugh, R.N. “That is why a yearly dilated eye exam is so important for persons with diabetes.” Because fluctuations in blood sugar levels can temporarily affect vision, it’s sometimes hard to know if a serious eye problem is developing. That’s one of the reasons good control of your blood sugar is so important. If you notice a vision change in one eye, a change that lasts more than a day or two or a change not associated with fluctuations in blood sugar call your eye doctor promptly. If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, schedule a complete dilated eye exam once a year or as often as your eye doctor suggests. Don’t smoke and keep your blood sugar under control through diet and exercise. For more information, or to receive a free diabetic retinopathy brochure,
call Cavanaugh at 792-4735.
Friday, Nov. 12, 2004
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