November is a month for prostate cancer awareness. But did you know that November is also going to be Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month?

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has observed a trend where nearly 58% of the people with diabetes fail to have their eyes examined.

Diabetes is a condition that progressively causes vision problems, such as diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy does not cause symptoms that warn the individual of its impending advance. Hence, diabetic patients are advised to go for annual exams. Over a period of time, diabetic individuals can identify if they are developing complications of the eyes.

And yet, despite this knowledge, the AAO discovered that more than half of the diabetics in the USA fail to have their eyes checked annually. They also discovered that those who had mild diabetes or who were smokers were also the people who skipped their eye exam appointments.

Scientists at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia compiled these statistics on the relationship between diabetics and their annual eye exams. The collaborative effort was between the Centers for Disease Control and the Wills Eye Hospital. There were 2000 diabetics who were reviewed for the study. They were 40 years or older and had either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

If the patients were already suffering from diabetic retinopathy, they were meticulous in going for annual eye exams.

Perhaps the knowledge of their eyes being affected just got them charged up in checking out their eyes on a regular basis. Statistically, they were found to be 30% more likely to get their eyes checked.

The chance of smokers attending annual eye exams is reduced by 20%. The idea behind having a regular eye exam is to detect the beginnings of an eye condition and to implement appropriate preventive strategies. In fact, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is recommending the month of November as the Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month to emphasize the importance of eye exams.

Annual eye screenings can be a lifesaver since eye diseases can be detected in the early stages. This enables the use of preventive strategies or appropriate treatment to delay the progress of these eye conditions. Based on the recommendations of the ophthalmologist, diabetics may be asked to attend either annual eye screenings or more frequent eye screenings. 

Eye Care America is a program of the AAO, which provides free eye exams to seniors over the age of 65. The AAO has released a public announcement on the importance of eye exams through an animation. The public is being encouraged to watch this animation and share the information with their family members.

Protecting your eyes can go a long way in preserving your quality of life. Being meticulous in your eye checkups will help maintain the existing quality of life. So, if you are suffering from diabetes and you have postponed that trip to your eyecare provider, well, now is the time to get it done.

An eye exam a year will keep your eye disease away!

To know more about eye complications related to diabetes, please click on the link below:

http://diabetes-recovery-guide.org/free-diabetes-book/