November is American Diabetes Month. Do you know that our eye doctors are sometimes the first person to see the symptoms of diabetes? One out of three people that have diabetes don’t even know it. Just because they’re unaware, doesn’t mean the disease isn’t causing problems for them.
Diabetes can damage the eyes and lead to blindness. Studies have even shown that diabetic eye disease can occur as early as the pre-diabetes stage. As with many eye conditions, there are no warning signs to let a person know they need to get their eyes checked. Regular eye exams can prevent blindness caused by diabetes 90% of the time.
When our doctors see symptoms of diabetes, they refer their patient to the primary care physician for follow-up care. This can make the difference between a person managing their condition or not. When you consider that people see their eye doctor more often than they have an annual check-up, our doctors play an important role in a person’s overall health.
Think about how important your eye sight and your health are to you. It makes sense that an annual eye exam should be a priority for everyone. As we continue to make progress with how we treat and manage this disease, we all have to work together. At VSP, we are committed to making a difference. VSP is not just a vision insurance company. We are an eye health company. Eye health is an important part of healthcare and particularly important for people that have diabetes.
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