Fairfield County Doctors Help Prevent Vision Loss from Diabetic Eye Problems

"Being that November is American Diabetes Month, it is an important time to connect with patients throughout our community and offer reminders of ways to help prevent vision loss from diabetic eye problems," noted Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D.

FAIRFIELD, CT, October 30, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "Diabetic eye problems are somewhat avoidable and manageable-but it requires a mutual effort by patients, primary care physicians and us-the eye physicians and surgeons in Fairfield County. To help us to help you prevent and avoid vision loss from diabetes, and to detect and diagnose diabetic retinopathy and its complications as early as possible, we ask all diabetics to take some basic steps and actions," she said.

Get a Yearly Comprehensive Dilated Eye Exam
In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy often has no symptoms. "By having a yearly dilated eye exam it allows us to examine the retina and optic nerve more thoroughly for signs of damage before changes in vision occur," commented Dr. Leslie Doctor. "Regularly monitoring eye health allows us to begin treatment as soon as possible if signs of diabetic eye disease-cataracts, glaucoma and especially diabetic retinopathy-do appear. In particular we want to alert women with diabetes who become pregnant that they may need additional eye exams throughout their pregnancy, as pregnancy can sometimes worsen diabetic retinopathy," she noted.

Maintain Normal Blood Glucose Levels
"High blood glucose or sugar damages the tiny blood vessels in your eyes-called microangiopathy. This damage can result in swelling in the retina including a common diabetic vision problem called diabetic macular edema, as well as the formation of abnormal fragile blood vessels that can bleed and form scar tissue in the vitreous and retina," noted Ophthalmologist Claudia Castiblanco, M.D. "Also, high blood glucose levels are not good for the crystalline of your eyes. Elevated blood sugar can change the shape of lens causing blurry vision and can lead to cataract development," explained Tineke Chan, M.D. of Doctor & Associates.

Maintain Normal Blood Pressure & Cholesterol Levels
High blood pressure and high cholesterol can increase the risk of eye disease and vision loss. Keeping both under control will help the eyes as well as overall health.

Quit Smoking
"Diabetics who smoke are absolutely at greater risk for diabetic retinopathy and other diabetes-related eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma," noted Dr. Chan. "Further, we also know that smoking increases your risk of age related macular degeneration (AMD)-and that's just the eye disease risk. There is a great deal more overall vascular risk including heart disease and stroke associated with smoking."

Get Regular Exercise
"Getting regular exercise, even mild exercise, helps to maintain blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels and stay healthy. We know that mild to moderate exercise is helpful in reducing the risk of many eye diseases and problems," summarized Dr. Leslie Doctor.

About Diabetes & Diabetic Eye Disease
According to the Centers for Disease Control diabetes affects more than 26 million people or over 8% of the U.S. population-a number that is growing annually with no end in sight. Seniors are particularly affected with almost 11 million or 27% of U.S. residents aged 65 years and older having diabetes. Diabetes is a major risk factor for cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, which is the most severe of these three eye diseases and affects approximately 7.7 million Americans. More than 4 million, over 28% of people with diabetes aged 40 years or older had diabetic retinopathy, and of these, some 650-700,000 or almost 4% of all diabetics have advanced diabetic retinopathy that can result in severe vision loss. Diabetic eye disease continues to be the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20 to 74 years of age. Diabetic retinopathy is more than twice as common in Mexican Americans and nearly three times as common in African Americans as in non-Hispanic whites. Diabetic eye diseases can be prevented and their progression can be slowed through early detection and diligent diabetes care.

"For certain, careful diabetes management is the best way to prevent vision loss. Although we have ways of addressing the eye complications of diabetes such as diabetic laser treatments, injections of drugs such as Lucentis and Eyelea and vitrectomy surgery-these are not curative-and so we really want to encourage patients to be diligent and work with us on prevention," stressed Dr. Leslie Doctor.

To learn more about Doctor & Associates you may visit http://www.doctor-and-associates.com or http://www.facebook.com/DoctorandAssociates or follow our eye care blog at http://doctorandassociates.blogspot.com.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center.

Doctor & Associates was established in 1965 to offer Fairfield County and southern Connecticut eye care patients the most convenient and comprehensive advanced eye health and vision care available today. Our multiple locations in Westport, Wilton and Norwalk are staffed by Board Certified Connecticut Ophthalmologists as well as an experienced and caring technical staff. Our goal is to provide superb quality eye care in a convenient and professional setting with attention to your comfort.

For additional information, contact:

Dorothy Figueroa
Doctor & Associates
129 Kings Highway North
Westport, Connecticut 06880
dfigueroa@drdrgroup.com
203-227-4113

SOURCE: Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.
http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com
http://www.seewithlasik.com

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