Working Together to Manage Diabetes: A Toolkit for Pharmacy, Podiatry, Optometry, and Dentistry (PPOD) | Toolkits | NDEP | Diabetes | CDC

Working Together to Manage Diabetes: A Toolkit for Pharmacy, Podiatry, Optometry, and Dentistry (PPOD) | Toolkits | NDEP | Diabetes | CDC

Your eyes are important in your everyday life. They let you see the world around you, including those you love. Some say the eyes are the window to the soul. Are you taking good care of your eyes? People with diabetes have a higher risk of eye problems. Diabetes is the main cause of blindness among adults younger than 74 years of age. Take these steps to manage your diabetes to protect your eyes and your vision:

• Get a dilated eye exam from your eye doctor at least once a year • Keep your blood sugar at a healthy level • Keep your next eye doctor appointment • Keep track of and tell your eye doctor about any changes in how you see • Talk with your eye doctor about the best ways to keep your eyes healthy • Ask your eye doctor to send your test results to your other doctors after every visit • Eat healthy foods • Stay at a healthy weight • Control your blood pressure • Protect your eyes from the sun with sunglasses

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) resources to help you avoid diabetes complications, including eye health problems. Check out this fact sheet Diabetes and You: Healthy Eyes Matter!, to learn how you can take good care of your eyes, while managing your diabetes. Know the signs that could mean you have eye problems. If you have any of the following symptoms see an eye doctor immediately! • Seeing little black lines or spots that don't go away • Seeing any red spots • Seeing red fog • Having a sudden change in how clearly you see • Taking longer than usual to adjust to darkness Want to learn even more about your eyes? Visit the CDC Vision Health Initiative (VHI) website, where you can find basic information about vision and eye health, learn how to avoid losing your vision, and find answers to common questions about eye problems and conditions. Find more information about how diabetes may affect your eyes from the National Eye Institute.