Features : Spreading awareness of diabetes, eye health : Sidney Herald, Sidney, Montana

Spreading awareness of diabetes, eye health

Published on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 3:16 PM MST

Diabetes, a devastating disease, affects the human body in many ways. One way that may not be thought of is how it affects the eyes.

“It’s the leading cause of preventative blindness in the United States,” Dr. Kristin O’Brien, Family Eye Care, said. Diabetes can affect eye health in various ways including bleeding and dry eye.

The disease often goes undetected so it’s important to get tested. That’s why Family Eye Care will focus on patrons getting a dilated vision exam.

“The eye is a window into our blood vessels,” O’Brien said. “It’s the only place we can see them, so if something funny is going on, that’s where we see it first.”

O’Brien will discuss with the public about the importance of this exam, provide information on the changes diabetes does to the eyes and answer any questions patrons may have. A checklist of how to handle diabetes will be provided as well.

“Diabetes has really changed a lot, and there’s so much undiagnosed diabetes out there...so it’s really important to get a lot of awareness out,” O’Brien said.

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