This post is sponsored by Regeneron; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you’ve been following me for some time now, you already know that I like to keep it real and personal with my audience. I often share the experiences and challenges that I face as a way to inform and hopefully inspire you to make personal evaluations and decisions that are best for your life. Health and wellness are areas of great importance to me, not just as a psychiatric health care provider, but as a mother of two amazing boys that I want to watch grow for as long as possible.
Giving you all the tools to advocate for your own health is a passion of mine. Previously, I had written a blog post about Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus to raise awareness about the disease, and how to become an advocate for your own health. I sat down with one of my in-laws to learn about their experience with managing their diabetes. Conversations like these are essential, especially in minority populations. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 2020 National Diabetes Statistics Report, new diabetes cases are higher among Blacks and people of Hispanic origin.
I’m continuing this conversation by discussing the very real potential for vision loss associated with diabetic retinal diseases. Did you know that nearly half of people living with diabetes develop an eye disease known as diabetic retinopathy, or DR? Diabetic retinopathy can lead to irreversible vision loss and blindness. The symptoms of DR are often unnoticeable, which may contribute to the development of vision loss. Fortunately, this outcome is preventable if it’s timely identified and treated.
Some ways I support my eyes are by eating foods that support my eye health, taking supplements, wearing blue light blocking glasses during my screen time, and maintaining an active lifestyle. Most importantly, I make regular appointments with an ophthalmologist to get my eyes checked.
Our vision is one of those things that we may take for granted. However, it’s such a vital aspect of our daily lives, which makes it justifiably important that you take the initiative to get routine screenings. I strongly encourage you to meet the recommended annual visits to check on your ocular health. Regardless of your health status, you should make it a point to go for your eye appointments.
As always, I aspire to provide you with helpful resources so you can advocate for yourself and/or the health of a loved one.
That’s why I am proud to work with Regeneron to provide information and resources to help you take steps to protect against low vision. Regeneron launched Look To Your Future to help patients and caregivers alike who are either at risk for or living with certain retinal diseases to understand the risks they face and have productive conversations with their eye doctor.
Visit LookToYourFuture.com to learn more about the importance of regular checkups and how to protect your eye health.
