CHICAGO – Today, diabetes affects more than 23 million Americans, with that number projected to more than double by 2050. And, every year, Americans spend $174 billion on direct and indirect medical costs on the disease, according to the American Diabetes Association. Diabetics are at a higher risk of complications such as dental disease, amputations and vision loss.
In fact, nearly half of all diabetics have some form of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when blood vessels to the retina become blocked or leak fluid or blood. There are up to 24,000 new cases of blindness each year, making diabetes the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age.
Prevent Blindness America has declared November as Diabetic Eye Disease Month in an effort to educate the public on how diabetes can affect vision. The group has a dedicated Web site, www.diabetes-sight.org, which provides free information to patients and healthcare professionals on diabetic eye diseases, risk factors, treatment options and Medicare benefits. The Web site also features a simulation on the effects of diabetic retinopathy on vision.
“Diabetes is a very serious problem in our country and more adults and children are diagnosed every year,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America. “We can try and minimize the damage it can cause to our eyes by getting an eye exam and beginning treatment immediately.”
In addition to diabetic retinopathy, diabetic patients are also at higher risks for:
- Cataracts- a clouding of the eye's lens, which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye.
- Glaucoma- an increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision.
- Macular edema- a swelling of the retina, where blurred vision occurs in the middle or just to the side of the central visual field.
- Retinal detachment- one of the most common causes of blindness in diabetes occurs when growing blood vessels pull the retina from the back of the eye.
Many diabetics, or those who are not yet aware that they have the disease, will have no visual symptoms in the early stages of retinopathy. Prevent Blindness America recommends that adults receive a dilated eye exam every two years and diabetic patients receive an eye exam every year in order to save vision.
According to Prevent Blindness America, symptoms of diabetic eye disease may include:
- Blurry or clouded vision
- Floaters or dark spots in vision
- Straight lines that do not appear straight (such as flag poles, street lights, etc.)
- Difficulty seeing in dim light
- Tunnel vision
For more information on diabetic eye disease, please call Prevent Blindness America at 1-800-331-2020 or visit www.diabetes-sight.org.
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Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness America is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness America touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, divisions and chapters, it's committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020.
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