People with diabetes have a greater risk of developing a serious eye disease due to a buildup of sugar in the bloodstream that can travel to the eyes. Some of these conditions include diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and macular edema.

You already visit your doctor regularly to monitor your blood sugar. We also recommend scheduling a diabetic eye exam in Jacksonville, FL at least once a year to stay ahead of potential problems. Uncontrolled blood sugar can eventually lead to blindness or low vision without intervention.

What Can You Do to Delay or Prevent Eye Diseases When You Have Diabetes?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends taking these steps to reduce the risk of damaging your vision or losing it altogether:

• Monitor your blood sugar daily and keep it within the range provided by your doctor the best you can.
• Ask your doctor to provide your cholesterol and blood pressure readings at each appointment along with tips for how you can keep both within range.
• If you smoke, quit now to improve your visual and overall health.
• Aim for a moderate amount of exercise each day since physical activity can help lower blood sugar.

The CDC also recommends an annual eye exam. You can expect your diabetic eye exam in Jacksonville, FL to be much like a regular exam.

The biggest difference is that your optometrist at Stam & Associates Eye Care studies the blood flow to your eyes and pays closer attention to your retinas. The purpose of this is to ensure that blood is reaching your eyes normally and that your retinas are functioning as they should. You can also expect typical eye tests, including reading letters from a board, eye tracking and teaming, and how your pupils respond to light.

Please request an appointment from us if more than 12 months have passed since your last diabetic eye exam.