November is Diabetic Eye Disease Month, and it’s important for those who have diabetes to take their eye care seriously. It’s something that often gets overlooked, especially where diseases like Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are concerned.
Early Detection is Key
Because people with diabetes are more susceptible to problems with their vision, they need to focus on making sure they’re as healthy as possible so problems do not persist. Issues that are caught early can be treated more easily, and generally, have a better prognosis for any patient.
Find the Right Treatment Plan
There is hope for patients with AMD, but you need to work with your ophthalmologist so you can get the right treatment plan for your needs. Getting an appointment and having your eyes thoroughly checked is the first step toward reducing any possible vision problems that diabetes can cause. Because macular degeneration affects up to 10 million people in the United States and is the leading cause of vision loss, it’s important to be checked annually. And it’s even more important when you have diabetes.
See Your Eye Doctor for Regular Checkups
People who have AMD start to lose their ability to see fine detail, making it harder to drive, recognize faces, read, and do other types of similar tasks. There are two types of AMD, wet and dry, but both result in vision loss over a period of time. Diabetes can make it more likely that AMD will develop, and can also speed up the progression of the disease. Because there aren’t currently any cures for AMD once it begins, catching it early and slowing its progression is the best way to protect your vision for as long as possible as you age. Keeping your diabetes well controlled and seeing your eye doctor for regular checkups can also help give you peace of mind.
Don’t Wait – Make an Appointment Today
At Florida Eye Specialists, you can schedule an appointment at any of our seven locations in northeast Florida. If you have diabetes, November would be a great time for you to come in and have your eyes checked for various conditions like AMD. Not everyone with diabetes will end up with AMD, and not everyone with AMD has diabetes, but since the two conditions are so closely related it’s important to stay on top of your eye health and check for correlation. Make an appointment with Florida Eye Specialists today to ensure that your eyes are healthy and set up a treatment plan for anything that needs to be taken care of. Your eyesight is very valuable! Let us help you take the best possible care of it.