Diabetes and the importance of an annual eye exam Tweet

 It is estimated that approximately 25% of people with type 1 diabetes will have some form of diabetic retinopathy five to ten years after their symptoms develop. It is important to keep blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. This drastically reduces the risk of developing retinopathy.  But, your best protection against retinopathy is having your eyes examined regularly, with photography when you are first diagnosed and then every year.

Diabetic retinopathy affects the blood vessels supplying the retina – the seeing part of the eye.  The vessels in the retina of the eye can become blocked, start to leak and/or grow abnormally like weeds.   This damage eventually can lead to permanent damage to the retina if left untreated. is a condition where the body does not produce adequate  insulin or cannot use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that breaks down glucose (sugar) so that it can be used by the body. The body's problem with in not making enough insulin causes the level of glucose in the blood to rise. This can cause a wide range of complications, including retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy. People with diabetes are at risk of developing a complication called diabetic retinopathy.  

At North Shore Eye Care, our board certified eye doctors, Dr. S. Martin, Dr. Zweibel, Dr. J. Martin, and Dr. Mauro see many patients with diabetes.  In Long Island (Suffolk and Nassau Counties), we see patients from smithtown, nesconset, saint james, kings park, centereach, selden, coram, middle island, riverhead, ridge, stony brook, setauket, port jefferson, shoreham, wading river, miller place, mt sinai, rocky point, centerport, greenlawn, plainview woodbury, syosset, bethpage, massapequa, lindenhurst, sayville, bay shore, babylon, roslyn, great neck, manhasset, east meadow, merrick and many other towns including queens, brooklyn, manhattan.