#22 | You Can Go Blind From Diabetes

Eye Care Tip of the Week #22

You can go blind from diabetes. 

No seriously, you can. In fact, diabetes is the number one (#1) cause of vision loss in the working age population. Meaning, that it's not just an 'old' person problem as some patient would like to believe. 

There is also no 'good' type of diabetes; it doesn't matter if you have Type-1 (Insulin Dependent), Type-2 (Non-Insulin Dependent) or gestational diabetes, all versions of the condition can contribute towards the development of diabetic eye disease. 

As such, every patient with Type-1, Type-2, gestational diabetes or pre-diabetes should be seen every year by an optometrist for a dilated retinal examination. Why? Because early detection is still the best treatment we have.

Bonus. Medically necessary visits such as diabetic retinal examinations are covered under Alberta Health Care when you visit your optometrist's office. You can learn more about the services we offer by visiting our eye exams | diabetic eye care page on our website. 

Remember you can use your Alberta Health Care card for prevention, not just acute treatment. 

This Eye Care Tip of the Week is brought to you by Stonewire.