May is Healthy Vision Month - protect your vision before you lose it!

May is healthy vision month, imagine for a moment that you lost your ability to
see—not all at once, but gradually. Watching your favorite TV shows, curling up
to read a good book, or taking in the scenic countryside on a weekend drive
would no longer be the same.

Americans agree that eyesight is the one sense they fear losing most. However, people often do not pay attention to their vision unless they notice a problem and
sadly most eye diseases and conditions have no early warning signs, so a person
can have a potentially blinding eye disease and not even know it.

One of the most important things you can do to protect your vision is to get a
comprehensive dilated eye exam. In this procedure, an eye care professional
places drops in your eyes to dilate, or widen, the pupil to allow more light to
enter the eye the same way an open door lets more light into a room. This
allows your eye care professional to examine the back of the eyes for any signs
of eye disease. Early detection and treatment can help to reduce your risk of
vision loss and blindness.

“Diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration [AMD] affect millions of Americans,” says Dr. Sieving, director of the National Eye
Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health. “These conditions were
once untreatable, robbing people of their vision, mobility, and independence.
Thankfully, in the last decade, medical researchers have developed highly
effective, sight-saving treatments. However, these treatments are only
effective if the disease is diagnosed before it causes vision loss. Since there
are often no warning signs, regular dilated eye exams are important to early
detection and treatment.”  The Healthy Vision Institute is a local ophthalmology practice specializing in senior and diabetic eye care.  Vitreoretinal Surgeon, Dr. James Powers utilizes the latest technology and treatments providing a 95% success rate in maintaining and saving his patient’s vision.

The Healthy Vision Institute is the ONLY ophthalmology practice in the United States to implement an accredited Diabetes Program bridging the direct connection between diabetes and vision loss.  The Healthy Diabetic Experience ™ encompasses three evidence-based interventions to improve outcomes for diabetes - Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), Diabetic Self-Management Education and Training (DSME/T) and Diabetic Self-Management Support (DSMS) and is accredited by the American Association of Diabetic Educators (AADE).  Best of all, the Healthy Diabetic Experience ™ is open to the community, allowing everyone to take advantage of all this program has to offer with full coverage by Medicare and most major medical plans for ongoing training and care. 

Talking to your family members about their eye health history is also important, as many eye diseases and conditions are hereditary. Make sure you pass on your
history to the next generation so they can take care of their vision, too. And,
tell your eye care professional if anyone in your family has an eye disease or
condition.