Health gem

IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS WEEK . . .Get a full eye exam if you have diabetes

A SURVEY involving Diabetes Ireland found that more than a quarter of 200 participants with diabetes were not getting their recommended annual full eye exam. The exam checks for conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, for which treatment is best started early.

“The main issue with diabetic retinopathy is that in the early stages, there are no symptoms of the condition and there is no pain experienced,” says eye doctor Mark Cahill, a retinal specialist at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital. “This means that anyone with diabetes should make sure to have a full eye exam on an annual basis, so that any signs of diabetic retinopathy can be detected as early as possible.”

A number of organisations are hosting a public information evening, VisualEyes the Risks: Managing Your Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy, at 6.30pm on Thursday, May 31st, at the O'Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dublin 2. For more information, contact Gráinne O'Connor on tel: 01 2175854 or grainne.oconnor@novartis.com

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