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Greetings!
One of the most common conditions caused by diabetes is eye damage. In this newsletter, American Diabetes Wholesale examines the types of diabetic eye damage and how they can be prevented.
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Diabetes and your Vision:
| How diabetes can affect your eyesight |
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Diabetes can have serious effects on your vision. It is the number one cause of legal blindness in the United States1. Both Type I and Type II diabetes can cause damage to your eyes, including these problems:
Retinopathy – About 40-45% of Americans with diabetes have some form of diabetic retinopathy, which simply means damage to the retina caused by diabetes. In this condition, blood vessels to the eyes are damaged, causing vision impairment or loss. Retinopathy can occur when the blood vessels that supply the retina with nourishment are blocked. The retina sends out signals to the body to grow new blood vessels to replace the blocked ones, which is called proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The blood vessels grow along the retina and the surface of the eye, and are quite fragile. They may leak blood into the eye, which can cause blurred vision or even blindness.
Macular Edema – Macular edema can be another form of diabetic retinopathy. When fluid leaks into the center of the eye, the macula, it can swell. This causes blurred or distorted central vision, since the macula helps us see straight ahead.
Cataracts – Cataracts are the clouding of the clear tissue at the front of the eye. People with diabetes have twice the risk of developing cataracts 2.
Glaucoma – Glaucoma is a condition in which fluid builds up in the eye, causing the pressure to increase. This high pressure can damage the optic nerve, causing headaches and loss of vision.
Preventing Damage
There are many things can you do to guard against the effects of diabetes on your eyes. The most important is to have an annual dilated eye examination. Many stages of eye damage, such as diabetic retinopathy, do not have symptoms, so this eye examination is crucial. An eye exam should test your visual acuity using a vision chart. Your eye doctor should also inspect your retina and optic nerve for damage, such as leaking blood vessels or any swelling (macular edema). People with proliferative diabetic retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by 95% if they receive treatment and proper follow-up care in a timely manner3.
Monitoring your blood sugar is another good preventative measure in caring for your eyes. Both the rate and the progression of eye damage can be slowed when your blood glucose levels are under control. Quitting smoking and controlling your blood pressure are two additional health measures than can lower the risk of damage to your eyes.
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1 http://www.eyesod.com/articles/diabetes_reeves.htm
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2 Vision Complications at dLife
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3 http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy.asp#2c
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Product Spotlight: Blood Pressure Monitors |
American Diabetes Wholesale offers several monitors to help you manage your blood pressure.
Omron Ultra Premium Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor
The Omron Ultra Premium Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor has many advanced features to help you monitor hypertension. Omron monitors use IntelliSense technology to maintain the perfect amount of pressure, giving you quick and comfortable results. The Omron Health Management Software, included with the blood pressure monitor, allows you to upload your readings to your personal computer. You can print or email your results, create graphs, and track your readings over time. Other great features include a morning hypertension indicator, irregular heartbeat detection, and A.P.S, a sensor that helps you position the wrist cuff correctly.
Mabis SmartSpeed Automatic Digital Blood Pressure Monitor
The Mabis SmartSpeed Automatic Digital Blood Pressure Monitor couldn’t be simpler to operate. Just wrap the cuff around your arm and press the power button. The cuff automatically inflates and shows your results on a jumbo-size display. The Mabis SmartSpeed monitor is up to 50% faster than other monitors and gives clinically accurate results. Store up to 60 readings in the built-in memory bank, or download and print the free Blood Pressure Log available on American Diabetes Wholesale’s website.
Advocate Duo TD-3223 Talking Blood Glucose plus Blood Pressure Monitor
The Advocate Duo TD-3223 Talking Blood Glucose plus Blood Pressure Monitor is just the tool you need to manage both diabetes and hypertension. This talking monitor tells you your results in English or Spanish, perfect for people who may have impaired eyesight. Test your blood pressure using the wrist, and store up to 450 readings in the memory. You can also download your results to a personal computer, and can download the free Advocate software from American Diabetes Wholesale. The Advocate Duo Glucose Testing System allows multiple-site testing and requires only a tiny sample to deliver results.
Duo-Care Combined Blood Glucose and Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor
The Duo-Care Combined Blood Glucose and Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor is light and portable, making it ideal to take with you anywhere. The blood pressure monitor reads both pressure and pulse, and can store 60 measurements. The blood glucose monitor delivers results in just 5 seconds and can store 150 readings. You can find your averages over 14 or 30 days, as well. Everything you need is included with this monitor: test strips, lancets, carrying case, log book, and much more. Its automatic shut-off feature saves battery power, too.
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| Recipe Corner... |
Apple Oatmeal Bars
Serves: 16
Nutrition Information Per Serving:
calories 108, protein 2 g, carbohydrate 14 g, fat 6 g, cholesterol 15 mg,sodium 27 mg.
Food Exchange: 1 1/2 starch, 1 fat.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
- 1/2 cup Equal® Spoonful(12 packets)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold stick butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup apricot or peach spreadable fruit
Preparation:
- Combine flour, oats, Equal®, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is very fine in texture and begins to stick together slightly. Stir in water and vanilla until well blended.
- Reserve 3/4 cup flour mixture. Press remaining mixture firmly and evenly onto bottom of lightly sprayed 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in preheated 375°F oven 12 to 15 minutes or until mixture is lightly browned at edge.
- Remove from oven and spread with fruit. Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture, pressing gently into fruit.
- Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until flour mixture is lightly browned on top. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into squares.
- Store in airtight containers at room temperature.
Visit www.CooksRecipes.com for many more delicious diabetic recipes.
Recipe provided courtesy of Merisant Corporation ® and the NutraSweet Company, makers of Equal®
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| About American Diabetes Wholesale |
American Diabetes Wholesale provides top-quality brand name diabetic supplies and over-the-counter pharmacy items at a savings of 30 to 60 percent. Since 2002, we've delivered on our promise of great products, the lowest prices, fast shipping, and exceptional service to our customers throughout the U.S.
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