Diabetes and Eye Health

The eye care professionals at Elmquist Eye Group offer important facts about diabetes and your eye health that will help you keep diabetic eye problems under control and preserve your good vision.

Elmquist Eye Group has been serving the residents of Southwest Florida for more than 25 years. Our talented team provides comprehensive eye care services to everyone in the family.

• Meet board certified ophthalmologist and surgeon Yasaira Rodriguez, MD
• Meet board certified optometrist (and partner) Kate Wagner, OD
• Meet board certified optometrist Nina Burt, OD

The Elmquist Eye Group team has more than 60 combined years of experience in the optical field. We are the premiere eye care facility in Cape Coral and Fort Myers and offer you a unique combination of advanced eye care and passion for providing the highest level of service.

Important Facts about Diabetes and Your Eyes

1. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults between age 20 and 74.
2. The most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina.
3. About one in three people over age 40 who have diabetes already have some signs of diabetic retinopathy
4. Diabetic retinopathy often goes unnoticed until some vision loss has already occurred.
5. Finding and treating diabetic retinopathy early can reduce the risk of blindness by 95%.
6. Once diagnosed with diabetes, you are 60% more likely to develop cataracts. Cataracts also tend to develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes.
7. Once diagnosed with diabetes, you are 40% more likely to develop glaucoma.
8. People of Hispanic, African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native American descent are more likely to develop diabetes and diabetic eye disease.
9. Controlling diabetes and the early detection, timely treatment, and appropriate follow-up care of diabetic eye disease can protect against vision loss.
10. If left unchecked, the vision you lose due to diabetes is irreversible.

It’s possible to significantly lower your risk of vision loss due to diabetes with early detection, timely treatment, and proper follow-up care. A dilated eye exam can spot diabetic eye problems early and stop or slow the progression before irreversible damage is done to your vision.

If you have diabetes, don’t wait until you experience problems with your vision. Have an eye exam at least once a year so that your ophthalmologist can watch for diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, glaucoma and other complications. When diagnosed in the early stages, you will have more treatment options available to you.

Call Elmquist Eye Group at (239) 936-2020 to experience a team of eye doctors who are devoted to your eye health. We will provide you with diabetes-related advice, the highest quality care, options and follow-up.