March is Vision Month, and our skilled team at Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Eye Care would like to remind everyone about the importance of your annual eye exam.

The eye exam is where your eye care professional (ophthalmologist or optometrist) can discover warning signs for serious eye conditions. If you delay your exam, you miss the opportunity to catch these things early and start resolving them before they advance too far. Early diagnosis is especially necessary if you have an existing condition, such as diabetes, that has the potential to cause eye damage. 

If you are diabetic and not watching your sugar levels carefully, a delayed exam can risk warning signs of diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to blindness. Working in concert with your endocrinologist, your eye care provider, usually an ophthalmologist at this point, will monitor your eyes regularly. Should early stages of diabetic retinopathy appear, progression may be slowed by diet and blood sugar control.

Ophthalmology is a medical and surgical specialty dedicated to diagnosis and treatment of disease and disorders of the eye. Optometry focuses on a patient’s vision, providing correction as needed and detecting eye abnormalities. Our Eye Care team includes both, providing a comprehensive list of medical and surgical ophthalmic and optometric services for people of all ages.

Taking control of your eye health, such as making and keeping your eye care appointments, will extend the quality of your vision in your lifetime. Find out more about Vision Month’s campaign to help you see well into your future, and make an eye care appointment today!