Diabetes affects about 18.2 million Americans and 5.2 million of those people don’t know they The longer you have diabetes, the greater your risk of …
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DIABETIC RETINOPATHY RISK QUIZ
Diabetes affects about 182 million Americans and 52 million of those people dont know they have the disease The longer you have diabetes, the greater your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy Thats why its essential you know as much as you can about your eyesight What is the likelihood that you will lose your sight from diabetes? Take this quiz and find out Turn to the back for answers to this quiz
Circle the best answer
1 Its been more than a year since youve had a comprehensive eye exam, which includes dilating the pupils and a careful evaluation of the back of your eyes yes no 6 You have diabetes and suffer from high blood pressure yes no
2 You suffer from blurry vision from time to time yes no
7 You are of Hispanic, African-American, Asian American, Pacific Islander or Native American descent yes no
3 You are in your 20s, take insulin and have had diabetes for more than five years yes no
8 Family members who have diabetes now suffer from diabetic retinopathy, cataracts or glaucoma yes no
4 You have recently been diagnosed with non-insulin
dependent diabetes yes no
9 Youre overweight according to your doctors height/weight chart and you dont exercise yes no
5 You have diabetes, and your blood sugar levels often fluctuate out of control yes no
10 Youre a pregnant woman with diabetes yes no
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness America is the nations leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness America touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening training, community and patient service programs and research
DIABETIC RETINOPATHY QUIZ ANSWERS
The answers to this quiz are combined according to the questions Example: questions 1 and 2 are answered as 1-2, etc Each question you answer with a yes increases your risk of developing diabetic eye disease 1-2 Blurry vision may be a sign that you are suffering from diabetes Its important that you see your eye doctor as soon as possible for a comprehensive eye exam that includes dilating the pupils This allows the eye doctor to check your eyes blood vessels for unusual
changes If your eye doctor notices changes c 
aused by diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma, he/she can suggest treatments to save your sight 3-4 The longer you have diabetes, the greater the chances you will develop diabetic eye disease Thats why Prevent Blindness America recommends that people with insulin-dependent diabetes should be examined annually for diabetic retinopathy starting five years after the onset of diabetes but generally not before puberty People with non-insulin dependent diabetes should see their eye doctor soon after being diagnosed You may have diabetes a long time without even knowing it 5-6 High blood pressure and poor control of blood sugar levels can increase your risk of blindness Both are linked to the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy or cataracts Research is being done to find out if controlling blood sugar levels and blood pressure will prevent or stop the progression of diabetic eye disease Its always vital that you keep your diabetes under control and follow your doctors advice in treating your high blood pressure 7-8 Race and family history seem to have a lot to do with who will get diabetes People who are of Hispanic,
African-American, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native American descent are more likely to develop diabetes, especially if they are overweight Talk to family members and find out if anyone in your family has diabetes and suffers from diabetic eye disease At your next doctors appointment, share your familys medical history 9-10 Some studies have shown that people who exercise may prevent non-insulin-dependent diabetes Its important that you talk to your doctor first if you plan to start an exercise program Pregnant women with diabetes should see their eye doctor during pregnancy Scientists are not certain why pregnancy seems to increase a womans risk of developing and even accelerating diabetic retinopathy
Call the PBA Vision Health Resource Center at 1-800-331-2020 for more facts about Diabetic Eye Disease
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