YORK, Pa. — November is Diabetes Awareness Month and in honor of that, Dr. Leslie O’Dell with Medical Optometry America is partnering with the Shrewsbury Lion’s Club to host free diabetic eye exams for the community.
Diabetes can cause many issues for the eyes, including glaucoma and cataracts.
“About 60% of people with diabetes don’t get their annual eye exams,” Dr. O’Dell said. Couple that with the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. O’Dell says they are seeing a very significant backlog in care.
“If we’re screening patients with diabetes annually, we can actually diagnose when it’s affecting the eyes and pass you onto treatments that would be vision-saving,” she said.
During the free exam, they’ll check for glaucoma and cataracts along with symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. The condition develops when the blood vessels in your retina become damaged and as it worsens, your eyesight can become blurry, less intense, and even begin to disappear.
“With diabetic eye disease, there’s so much we can do and just knowing is half the battle,” Dr. O’Dell said.
She hopes the free day of diabetic vision screenings spread awareness and help the community at the same time.
WHO CAN ATTEND
People of all ages who have diabetes, pre-diabetes, or have a family history of diabetes are encouraged to attend the free event.
WHEN
Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
WHERE
Medical Optometry America
781 Far Hills Drive Suite 100
Shrewsbury, Pa. 17349
Download the FOX43 app here.
In Other News
Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings.