#22 | You Can Go Blind From Diabetes

Eye Care Tip of the Week #22

You can go blind from diabetes. 

No seriously, you can. In fact, diabetes is the number one (#1) cause of vision loss in the working age population. Meaning, that it's not just an 'old' person problem as some patient would like to believe. 

There is also no 'good' type of diabetes; it doesn't matter if you have Type-1 (Insulin Dependent), Type-2 (Non-Insulin Dependent) or gestational diabetes, all versions of the condition can contribute towards the development of diabetic eye disease. 

As such, every patient with Type-1, Type-2, gestational diabetes or pre-diabetes should be seen every year by an optometrist for a dilated retinal examination. Why? Because early detection is still the best treatment we have.

Bonus. Medically necessary visits such as diabetic retinal examinations are covered under Alberta Health Care when you visit your optometrist's office. You can learn more about the services we offer by visiting our eye exams | diabetic eye care page on our website. 

Remember you can use your Alberta Health Care card for prevention, not just acute treatment. 

This Eye Care Tip of the Week is brought to you by Stonewire. 

#17 | Always Tell Your Optometrist Your Complete Medical History

Eye Care Tip of the Week | #17

Always tell your optometrist your complete medical history. 

Patients may often provide auxiliary health care providers like optometrists with an edited version of their healthcare history. They may unintentionally omit details, or they may feel that it's irrelevant, or they don't think it has anything to do with eyes. 

The truth of the matter is though, your body is a complete system, everything is connected. Health conditions can manifest in various ways, and the medications used to treat them may have visual side effects. Your visual symptoms may merely be revealing a more significant underlying health care problem that may be overlooked if your complete medical history isn't known. 

Every day doctors are put to the test; They make the best diagnosis and treatment plan they can, based on the facts available at the time. Failure to provide all the information they might require, really only affects you.

This Eye Care Tip of the Week is brought to you by Dr. Ross McKenzie