November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and for many, this means taking the time to understand diabetes and how it affects the human body, as well as learning how to to identify and treat diabetes before it can significantly impact your health and day-to-day function. Today, one in three Canadians have either diabetes or prediabetes, and with 2021 marking the 100th year since the discovery of insulin, there’s a lot to learn and be aware of this Diabetes Awareness Month. One of the earliest detections of diabetes presents itself in an individual’s eyes, meaning regular eye examinations are essential to one’s overall health in the fight against diabetes.
Retinopathy And Eye Health
At Hakim Optical, we recommend that the average adult gets an eye examination every two years, not only because it’s important to adjust your prescription as you age, but also because diabetes presents itself in the eyes early on and an eye exam is a valuable way to catch it. Diabetic Retinopathy (or DR) presents itself in over 500,000 Canadians across the country; essentially, it means an excess of sugar is in the individual’s blood causing damage to blood cells in the retina. Diabetic Retinopathy is very easy for optometrists to spot, allowing them to notify the patient and have them contact their physician.
Take Care Of Your Health With Regular Eye Exams
In diagnosed individuals, diabetes will slowly deteriorate the eyes over time, making eye exams necessary to track their health and their vision. For individuals without diabetes, eye exams will help to detect and diagnose diabetes before significant or damaging changes happen throughout the body. By scheduling bi-annual eye exams, you’re ensuring that your eyes and your overall health are in good shape, and you’re taking care of yourself in a way that could potentially pay off later on. If you’re already an individual diagnosed with diabetes, it’s recommended that you schedule an eye exam once a year to ensure your health and an up-to-date prescription.
Take care of your eyes and your health this November by booking an eye exam at Hakim Optical!
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Since 1967, Hakim Optical has been providing Canadians with the highest quality corrective prescription lenses at a reasonable value that can’t be beat. Our knowledgeable staff and independent doctors of optometry are available to help you find an eyewear solution tailored specifically to your needs.
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