Save Your Vision Month is sponsored by the American Optometric Association. This annual early-spring observance reminds us of the importance of preserving and maintaining eye health by having regular eye exams at Rochester Eye and Laser Center. In keeping with that “visionary” theme, it’s also National Eye Donor Month (promoting cornea transplant awareness) and Workplace Eye Wellness Month (promoting awareness of job-related eye injuries).

Diabetes is a disease that profoundly affects many areas of your body, including your eyes. It increases your risk for eye conditions, such as glaucoma and cataracts. The primary concern for eye health in people with diabetes is the development of diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that develops when the blood vessels in your retina become damaged. The retina is the light-sensitive portion of the back of your eye. As the damage worsens, you may begin losing your vision. Your eyesight may become blurry, less intense, and begin to disappear.

This condition can affect people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you live with diabetes, the more likely you are to develop complications like diabetic retinopathy. This is why adopting lifestyle changes and learning to manage diabetes is ...