VSP Blog » diabetes http://vspblog.com Daily peek at eyecare Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:07:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Celebrity chef’s revelation of diabetes brings additional awareness http://vspblog.com/2012/01/20/celebrity-chefs-revelation-of-diabetes-brings-additional-awareness/ http://vspblog.com/2012/01/20/celebrity-chefs-revelation-of-diabetes-brings-additional-awareness/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:27:21 +0000 Alex http://vspblog.com/?p=9778 Nationally recognized chef Paula Deen, who is featured on popular cooking shows seen on the Food Network,  told the “Today” show on Tuesday that she has Type 2 diabetes. Although Deen was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes three years ago, her recent revelation on national TV has brought additional attention and awareness to the subject of diabetes.

Because diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among adults, VSP Vision Care has long been committed to increasing consumer awareness of the important role regular eyecare plays in the prevention, early detection and management of diabetes through numerous efforts.
The national VSP Eye on Diabetes campaign, now in its third year, travels to states around the country providing education, awareness and free comprehensive eye exams and glasses to those in need. In 2012, we will be heading to Mississippi, Ohio, California and Pennsylvania.
VSP also has a Diabetic Eyecare Program to help people with diabetes manage their conditions. VSP eye doctors work with patients and can identify changes in the eyes that can lead to diabetes-related blindness. When changes occur, VSP doctors can coordinate care with the members’ primary care physicians to help ensure they receive the care they need.
Almost 26 million people in America have diabetes, and that number is expected to grow sharply over the next 20 years.
Comprehensive eye exams serve as a preventative tool for diabetes because they provide the only unobstructed view of the bodies’ blood vessels. By examining changes in the blood vessels, optometrists can detect early signs of diabetes years before a patient displays symptoms or is diagnosed by a medical physician. This is why scheduling an annual eye exam is so important for maintaining not only your eye health but overall health as well.

Stay tuned to the VSP Blog and Twitter (@VSPVisionCare) for updates on the national Eye on Diabetes campaign. For more information on diabetes and your eyes, please visit the Diabetes Discovery Center.

]]> http://vspblog.com/2012/01/20/celebrity-chefs-revelation-of-diabetes-brings-additional-awareness/feed/ 1 Hypertension could be lurking in your eyes http://vspblog.com/2012/01/09/hypertension-could-be-lurking-in-your-eyes/ http://vspblog.com/2012/01/09/hypertension-could-be-lurking-in-your-eyes/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:00:05 +0000 Nancy D http://vspblog.com/?p=9514 This past holiday, 26 people from my family gathered to celebrate. At some point in the evening, one of the hosts, who has diabetes and high blood pressure, had his blood pressure cuff sitting around; it’s a digital wrist cuff. You can’t have one of those things sitting at the table around this curious group without someone picking it up and playing with it. It became a game—a betting game, of course. We’re not just curious, we’re also competitive. It was all fun and games and while no one’s eye came out (gross), three of the men at the table showed frighteningly high blood pressure. All are relatively young men, seemingly healthy. And, while we were all participating in the spirits that accompany such a bash, the number of others who “played” our game offered a good enough control group of consistently accurate readings.

There could be several reasons that cuff read so high for these guys…user error, cuff too low in relation to the heart, vessels too far beneath the skin, and so on. However, we tested each person at the table three times, at different intervals and stages of rest. All fluctuated in heart rate, but consistently presented similar blood pressure. These three guys, whom I love and respect, could be ticking time bombs. I found myself in a quandary. I’m concerned. The writing seems to be on the wall, but I’m not a doctor. Should I say something?

I did. I couldn’t just sit back and let this slide. It was difficult to address when it’s not my expertise—not even close. But, I did it, privately and after the celebration. By talking to them, I had nothing to lose. If I didn’t speak up, I could literally lose them. I shared my concern and asked them to take the opportunity to get a way-past-overdue physical, including a COMPLETE eye exam by an optometrist.

They had no idea that a look into the eye may reveal the silent damage wrought by high blood pressure and diabetes and reflect the risk of a future stroke or heart attack. All I can do is hope they share my concern and check it out. If nothing else, they’ll have an answer. If it turns out to be nothing, they’ll have a reason to hassle me (the nosey-Nellie/worrywart). There has to be at least one of us to razz while sitting at the poker table. In this case, I’ll gladly wear that hat. If it turns out we caught something by playing our little impromptu game, then I’ll just be happy to be sitting at the table with them for a while longer.

No matter who you are, regular eye exams are important for seeing more clearly and seeing signs of diseases like hypertension, glaucoma, and diabetes.

To learn more, visit VSP Vision Care’s The Center.

]]> http://vspblog.com/2012/01/09/hypertension-could-be-lurking-in-your-eyes/feed/ 0 Dr. Phelps talks with Phil Southerland of Team Type 1 about diabetes and eye exams http://vspblog.com/2011/12/30/dr-phelps-talks-with-phil-southerland-of-team-type-1-about-diabetes-and-eye-exams/ http://vspblog.com/2011/12/30/dr-phelps-talks-with-phil-southerland-of-team-type-1-about-diabetes-and-eye-exams/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:00:22 +0000 David C http://vspblog.com/?p=9557

Dr. Phelps

Today’s post is written by guest blogger Dr. Roger Phelps, a VSP provider in Ojai, California. Dr. Phelps is also a certified diabetes educator.

Diabetes is becoming more and more prevalent, but still many patients either don’t know they have the disease or don’t take the proper preventative steps. Those preventative steps include not only keeping A1C levels as low as possible, but also getting an annual eye exam to check for any signs of trouble with the blood vessels.

As an optometrist and a type 1 diabetic, I am very passionate about controlling diabetes because of the damage it can do to the eyes without proper care. I sat down with Phil Southerland of Team Type 1, who is equally passionate about diabetes, and he shared with me why he takes going to the eye doctor so seriously.

For more information about diabetes and the eyes, visit the Diabetes Discovery Center.

]]> http://vspblog.com/2011/12/30/dr-phelps-talks-with-phil-southerland-of-team-type-1-about-diabetes-and-eye-exams/feed/ 0 Diabetes gets social at the 2011 World Diabetes Congress http://vspblog.com/2011/12/12/diabetes-gets-social-at-the-2011-world-diabetes-congress/ http://vspblog.com/2011/12/12/diabetes-gets-social-at-the-2011-world-diabetes-congress/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:15:44 +0000 David C http://vspblog.com/?p=9388

Manny Hernandez

Our friend Manny Hernandez from TuDiabetes.org attended the 2011 World Diabetes Congress in Dubai. He presented the importance of social media to the diabetes community and shared how his social network, TuDiabetes.org (and Español: EsTuDiabetes.org), has made a positive impact on his life as well as the lives of its 37,000 members.

One of the main benefits to a diabetes-focused social network is that you are able to gain and share knowledge on things like:

  • Meaning of blood glucose numbers
  • Pros and cons of pumps
  • Personal experiences with a certain medication
  • Disposing of sharps
  • Complications with vision

The World Diabetes Congress is an international healthcare conference where thousands of people meet to discuss information, research, advocacy and issues related to diabetes. This was the largest Congress yet, with about 14,000 attendees.

To understand more about the link between eyecare and diabetes, visit our Diabetes Discovery Center or the Diabetes and Your Eyes resource on TuDiabetes.

 

]]> http://vspblog.com/2011/12/12/diabetes-gets-social-at-the-2011-world-diabetes-congress/feed/ 1 Get Blue for World Diabetes Day http://vspblog.com/2011/11/14/get-blue-for-world-diabetes-day/ http://vspblog.com/2011/11/14/get-blue-for-world-diabetes-day/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:01:24 +0000 Lisa P. http://vspblog.com/?p=9061 Today is World Diabetes Day. Each year on November 14, the International Diabetes Federation engages millions of people around the world in hopes to draw attention to diabetes. World Diabetes Days falls in American Diabetes Month, which we wrote about last week, but reaches more than 160 countries worldwide.

The focus of the campaign for the next couple of years is diabetes education and awareness, and people are doing a lot of activities to get involved. Public spaces and buildings around the world will be lighting themselves with blue light in honor of the occasion. Because education is a critical part of understanding diabetes, many organizations are making it easy for you to participate. You can take the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Risk Assessment, which evaluates your risk and provides tips to lower it. You can also take the Big Blue Test, which helps provide life-saving supplies to people with diabetes. Both of these tests allow you to share with your Facebook friends to help spread the word about diabetes.

Curious about what VSP does for people with diabetes? Because diabetes can be detected through an eye exam, VSP providers are always counseling patients about the connection between eye health and overall health (see our Diabetes Discovery Center). We also have a great campaign that focuses specifically on diabetes–Eye on Diabetes. This year we took the VSP Mobile Eyes on the road to three states and with the help of 23 VSP network doctors, we helped over 2,500 uninsured/underserved adults and children receive free eyecare services. Of those, 89 were directly referred for diabetes risk.

Here’s a brief video from our last 2011 stop in Atlanta, Georgia.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The campaign will continue to four more states in 2012. Stay tuned for dates and locations!

]]> http://vspblog.com/2011/11/14/get-blue-for-world-diabetes-day/feed/ 0 Do you know your risk factors for diabetes? http://vspblog.com/2011/11/08/do-you-know-your-risk-factors-for-diabetes/ http://vspblog.com/2011/11/08/do-you-know-your-risk-factors-for-diabetes/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:05:30 +0000 David C http://vspblog.com/?p=9008 In the past 20 years, diabetes rates have doubled worldwide. And, by 2050, about one third of the people who live in the United States could have diabetes. These numbers are shocking and call for action; one of the easiest ways to do so is by being aware of your risk factors. Risk factors typically include weight, exercise, family history, ethnicity, age, and other diseases (like high blood pressure).

I had no idea how prevalent diabetes had become. So, in honor of American Diabetes Month, I took the free diabetes risk factor test from the American Diabetes Association. I was curious to see what the quick survey said about my risk…especially since I am a “smidge” overweight and have a family history of diabetes. (My mom and grandma have type 2 and my aunt has type 1.)

Now that I’m aware of my risk for developing diabetes, I can make changes to lower my risk. In fact, the ADA even provides a tip sheet at the end of the risk assessment. Take the risk assessment now by visiting the American Diabetes Association on Facebook.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering why I’m writing about diabetes on the VSP Blog, consider this: 90 percent of diabetes-related blindness can be avoided with early detection and treatment. So, make sure you’re getting regular, comprehensive eye exams. To learn more about diabetes and your vision, visit the Diabetes Discovery Center.

]]> http://vspblog.com/2011/11/08/do-you-know-your-risk-factors-for-diabetes/feed/ 0 A day of giving back with Dr. Oz http://vspblog.com/2011/10/23/a-day-of-giving-back-with-dr-oz/ http://vspblog.com/2011/10/23/a-day-of-giving-back-with-dr-oz/#comments Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:54:14 +0000 Jill N http://vspblog.com/?p=8744

VSP employees with Dr. Oz after closing down a record breaking day of 455 patients being seen in the vision area in one day.

In one of the largest outreach  events that VSP has participated in to date, we had the incredible opportunity to work for a day alongside Dr. Oz, two-time Daytime Emmy® Award-winning host of the Daytime Emmy® Award-winning “The Dr. Oz Show”, and vice-chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University (that’s a mouthful isn’t it?).

He arrived on the second day of the clinic to meet with the volunteers, thanking them for their commitment to give back to those who need it most, to consult with the medical, dental and vision care professionals as they donated their time and services and to provide medical advice and guidance to a number of patients who were being seen.

One of those patients, David, was identified when he walked up to the VSP educational table in front of our mobile eye clinic. He told us he was drawn to the table because of an image that was displayed that simulated how a person with diabetic retinopathy would see. He was terrified that the blurriness he was experiencing was, in fact, due to diabetic retinopathy. As a 22-year-old Hispanic male with Type 2 diabetes and a family history of diabetes-related health issues, he had come to the clinic to try to be proactive about his health for his wife and two baby girls. However, he had never received an eye exam in his life and had no idea that he could lose his sight from the disease.

With his eyes extremely red and knowing he was experiencing blurriness, we immediately referred him to the vision area for care where optometry students from Southern California College of Optometry and VSP doctors were awaiting him. After moving through the various stations, David ultimately ended up with VSP doctor, and lead eyecare practitioner for CareNow, John Nishimoto, O.D. After consulting with David and learning more about both his personal and family history, Dr. Nishimoto made an initial check of his eye health. At that point, he didn’t see an obvious sign of diabetic retinopathy, but did see something that didn’t appear normal. At this point, Dr. Oz joined him to learn about David and and his situation. Dr. Nishimoto made the decision to take David onto the VSP mobile eye clinic for a more thorough examination where Dr. Oz joined them. I’m going to do something horrible and leave you here…with a bit of a cliffhanger. The reason why? David’s story will be told on the Dr. Oz show and we really want you to watch! His story is a great example of not only what can be detected in an annual eye exam, but also why regular eyecare  is an important part of a person’s healthcare routine.

We’ll keep you posted on when to tune in to the Dr. Oz show (we are still confirming the exact date) to see the whole experience. But in the meantime, check out some of the behind the scenes pictures we captured here.

And to Dr. Oz? It was a pleasure and we say thank you for helping to bring to the national spotlight some of the personal stories and needs of the more than 725,000 people VSP has had the opportunity to impact through our charitable programs. We hope this will encourage even more people and organizations to give back while also serving to educate everyone about the importance of taking advantage of, and utilizing, the channels they have available to them to take care of themselves.

]]> http://vspblog.com/2011/10/23/a-day-of-giving-back-with-dr-oz/feed/ 1 VSP making strides with diabetes education http://vspblog.com/2011/10/18/vsp-making-strides-with-diabetes-education/ http://vspblog.com/2011/10/18/vsp-making-strides-with-diabetes-education/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:14:22 +0000 Jessica H. http://vspblog.com/?p=8644 VSP was recently invited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to present at an event celebrating the success of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP). NDEP is the government’s leading public education program for diabetes prevention and control that offers evidence-based, culturally tailored and easy-to-read materials. VSP was invited to present on our partnership with NDEP to produce educational materials and to serve as a role model to other organizations. We shared the actions we have taken to raise awareness around the link between diabetes awareness and healthy vision, including:

  • Spreading the importance of eye exams for the early detection of diabetes
  • Offering continuing education courses to eyecare professionals about diabetes care
  • Reaching out to optometry students to educate them about their role in health care
  • Providing tools to eyecare professionals to educate patients about diabetes and their eyes
  • VSP’s reach through membership and charity work including Mobile Clinics and Sight for Students

For more information about diabetes and your eyes, visit VSP’s Diabetes Discovery Center.

]]> http://vspblog.com/2011/10/18/vsp-making-strides-with-diabetes-education/feed/ 0 Do you know what the inside of your eye looks like? http://vspblog.com/2011/10/11/do-you-know-what-the-inside-of-your-eye-looks-like/ http://vspblog.com/2011/10/11/do-you-know-what-the-inside-of-your-eye-looks-like/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:22:03 +0000 David C http://vspblog.com/?p=8579

The inside of my right eye

Working at VSP, and also wearing glasses for more than ten years, I understand the importance of healthy vision. (I’m not going to lie, either; I love getting new glasses and can never seem to have enough.) Last week when I got my yearly eye check-up, I had the option to get a digital image of my eye in lieu of a dilated exam. I have to admit, I was curious to see what the inside of my eye looked like…just what was my eye doctor (Dr. Nakamura of Natomas Optometry) looking at in there?

At first glance, I was a little concerned with the red dot in the middle and white blob off to the side, but Dr. Nakamura explained to me that the red dot was actually the macula and the white spot was the optic nerve—both were supposed to be there. The macula is responsible for seeing things in detail and our “central vision” (as in not peripheral vision) while the optic nerve is what carries the visual information to the brain. (Quick clip: the eye is like a camera.)

I thought it was rather interesting to see my own eyes on the screen in front of me. What I liked most was how Dr. Nakamura could show me that my eyes were healthy by comparing my images to sample pictures with various eye or eye-related health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, cataracts, and macular degeneration. I was happy to see my eyes didn’t have any of those problems.

P.S. I just got computer vision glasses for the first time, and I am really excited about them. I will write about what I think of them after I have used them a week or so.

]]> http://vspblog.com/2011/10/11/do-you-know-what-the-inside-of-your-eye-looks-like/feed/ 2 Your Eyes are More Than Just Windows to Your Soul http://vspblog.com/2011/10/06/your-eyes-are-more-than-just-windows-to-your-soul/ http://vspblog.com/2011/10/06/your-eyes-are-more-than-just-windows-to-your-soul/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000 Gail V http://vspblog.com/?p=8526 Your eyes are also windows to your health.

See the signs.

I was surprised to learn what an eye doctor can discover during an annual eye exam. It can go way beyond simply making sure your prescription is still correct! Your eye doc can catch the early warning signs of overall health problems before they become serious. Did you know your comprehensive eye exam can detect glaucoma, diabetes, and even conditions like a brain tumor?

Shop safely.

For contact lens wearers, by far the safest place to order your annual supply is from your eye doc. But if you typically order your contacts online, make sure your eye doc gives you the thumbs up on your eye health and prescription first. You’ve only got one set of eyes! And make sure the site you order from is one you can trust.

Details matter.

At eyeconic.com, you can order contact lenses with confidence. Eyeconic goes above and beyond for you. We work with your doctor to make sure the prescription we fill for you is right, and we guarantee your satisfaction.

Besides the great service, Eyeconic has over a hundred of the most popular contact lenses to choose from—I bet you’ll find your brand. You’re not tech savvy? No problem. You don’t have to be a geek like me to order from Eyeconic; the site is super easy to navigate. I love all the handy tips, too, like how to figure out which lens type is best for you, and ways to keep your eyes healthy. There’s even a discount for Air Optix® Aqua wearers right now. And I know you’ll love the free shipping!

Most of all, it’s important to know there’s an online store you can trust with your eyes.

Here’s to your eye health!

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