Healthy Vision Month is sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the National Eye Health Education Program. The NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This year the focus is on Diabetic retinopathy, a major cause of vision loss in working adults. And people with the disease may not even know they have it.
Because early diagnosis and timely treatment have been shown to prevent vision loss in more than 90 percent of patients, health care practice guidelines recommend an annual dilated eye exam for all people with diabetes. Several studies indicate, however, that many people with diabetes do not get an annual exam.
As a result, an estimated 50 percent of patients are diagnosed too late for treatment to be effective. That is why medical experts recommend that everyone with diabetes have a dilated eye examination at least once a year. The exam helps eye care professionals detect the disease and offer treatment before vision is lost.
People with diabetes also can keep their health on “TRACK”:
ú Take your medications.
ú Reach and maintain a healthy weight.
ú Add physical activity to your daily routine.
ú Control your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
ú Kick the smoking habit.
Even though the focus is on diabetic eye disease it is still recommended that everyone get an eye exam yearly.
To learn more about diabetic retinopathy contact your eye care professional or visit www.healthyvision2010.org/hvm
Saturday, July 5, 2025