SOUTH East residents with diabetes are urged to place eye health in their sights amid the risk of blindness.
A new program has been launched in Mount Gambier that aims to prevent diabetes-related blindness.
The program, called KeepSight, has been developed by Diabetes Australia in partnership with Specsavers, Vision 2020 Australia and the Australian Government.
Mount Gambier optometrist Erica Johnston said regular eye tests were imperative for the hundreds of people in the region diagnosed with diabetes.
She said early detection meant people could potentially save their eye sight or prevent vision loss.
“Getting an eye check should be part of their regular habits,” Ms Johnston said.
She said advances in technology meant problems could be detected early and treated so people could have “good vision for the rest of their lives”.
Sadly, Ms Johnston said she had seen people in Mount Gambier with diabetes who have vision impairment due to the lack of regular eye checks.
“In South Australia, there are currently 108,390 people living with diabetes, many of whom are living in Mount Gambier,” Ms Johnston said.
“Of those, we know 54,195 are not having regular eye health checks and 16,259 have already been diagnosed with a vision threatening eye condition.”
The Specsavers optometrist said KeepSight was a huge step forward in the fight against diabetes-related blindness.
“The program will target those most at risk in a systematic way to ensure people with diabetes are accessing eye checks for early detection and early treatment of problems, which is great news for those living with diabetes in Mount Gambier and their friends and families,” Ms Johnston said.
Diabetes Australia chief executive officer Professor Greg Johnson said KeepSight aimed to make it easier for people to remember to schedule eye checks.
“Diabetes is a complex condition and people with diabetes need to have a range of regular health checks and tests to manage their condition,” Prof Johnson said.
“It can be time-consuming and confusing and sometimes things get overlooked. Many people with diabetes are not even aware they need to have their eyes checked.”
Once registered with KeepSight, he said people would receive reminders and prompts to have regular diabetes eye checks.
People living with diabetes can register at www.keepsight.org.au for reminder alerts.
