Happy August, everyone! Can you believe fall is right around the corner? Soon it’ll be time for apple and pumpkin picking, fall fests, and hayrides! Fall also means “back to school” for the kids — and with that comes the usual shopping for backpacks, clothes, and supplies.
But here’s something else parents should add to the back-to-school checklist: eye screenings for your children — and for yourselves.
If you don’t already have a family optometrist, many schools offer screenings, and local Lions Clubs often provide them free of charge. Why does this matter? Because eye exams can catch early signs of conditions like:
- Diabetes
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
- Glaucoma
- Retinal detachments
- Diabetic macular edema (DME)
- Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness, yet up to 95% of cases can be prevented with early detection. Similarly, when diabetic macular edema is caught early, vision can often be preserved — and in some cases, even restored. The challenge is that 1 in 5 people with diabetes don’t even know they have DME unless it’s found during an exam.
Both of these conditions are caused by high blood sugar levels over time, which damage tiny blood vessels in the retina. When those vessels leak or bleed, fluid builds up and harms vision.
That’s why the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends:
- People with Type 1 diabetes: get an eye exam within 5 years of diagnosis
- People with Type 2 diabetes: get an exam within a few months of diagnosis
As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This fall, let’s do our part to protect against diabetes-related blindness — and keep our children’s future in focus.
Seeing is believing! 👀🍎🎒
