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The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) recently received a Healthy Vision 2010 community grant to raise awareness of the importance of an annual eye exam among people at high risk for eye disease.
Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20-74 years old; however in 2003 only 54.8 percent of people with diabetes received a dilated eye exam. Hispanics had the lowest annual dilated eye exam rate at 53.1 percent.
What is Diabetic Eye Disease?
Diabetic eye disease (also called diabetic retinopathy) is a serious problem that can lead to loss of sight. Diabetic Eye Disease affects people with diabetes and causes the small blood vessels of the retina to swell and leak liquid into the retina, blurring the vision, and sometimes causing blindness.
What is your Diabetes Eye Disease Eye-Q?
Take the quiz in English or Spanish.
What is your Glaucoma Eye-Q?
Take the quiz in English or Spanish. External PDF
Signs of Diabetic Eye Disease
Regular eye exams are important because diabetic eye disease may be developing even when your sight is good. Signs include:
- Vision changes
- Trouble reading
- Blurred vision
- Seeing rings around lights, dark spots or flashing lights
Be sure to tell your health care provider or eye doctor about any eye problems you may have.
Get Regular Eye Exams
You need to have your eyes dilated and examined once a year, even if you don’t have any vision problems right now. Ask your health care provider to recommend an eye doctor who cares for people with diabetes. Even if you’ve lost your sight from diabetic eye disease, you still need to have regular eye care.
If you haven’t already had a complete eye exam, you should have one now if any of these conditions apply to you.
- You've had Type 1 diabetes for 5 or more years.
- You have Type 2 diabetes.
- You’re going through puberty and you have diabetes.
- You’re pregnant and you have diabetes.
- You’re planning to become pregnant and you have diabetes.
Local low cost, sliding-scale or free eye health and vision resources.
The Vision Resources (PDF 63 KB) flyer was created to provide you with a list of doctors located in Southern Nevada who provide low cost vision and diabetes services. The Vision Resources en Espanol (PDF 64 KB) is also available.
Visit the National Eye Institute website for more vision resources. (http://isee.nei.nih.gov/)
If you are on Medicare, visit their website to find what services they offer to prevent Glaucoma.
Below is a list of print material we have related to multiple eye diseases. Please contact Rayleen Earney at Earney@snhdmail.org with your name, address and the material you would like to receive and she will send them to you.
- Don't Lose Sight of Macular Degeneration (English only)
- Don't Lose Sight of Cataract (English Only)
- Don't Lose Sight of Diabetic Eye Disease (English only)
- Don't Lose Sight of Glaucoma (English only)
- See All You Can See : Activity Book for Ages 6 to 8 (English Only)
- Wild About Healthy Vision: Activity Book for Ages 9 to 12 (English Only)
- Visión Saludable (Healthy Vision) - This covers all 4 major eye diseases. (Spanish Only)
- ¡Ojo con su visión! Si tiene diabetes, lea esta historia (Watch out for your vision. Read this story if you have diabetes.) (Spanish Only)
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