Diabetes and its impediments are one of the major public health problems in the United States. The Healthy Eyes Healthy People® (HEHP) program believes in helping community leaders such as optometrists to educate and develop new health-related projects in order to provide better eye health information to their patients. Healthy Eyes Healthy People ® awards those community leaders who have recognized a disparity such as diabetes locally and are doing something to correct the current situation in their communities. The maximum grant award is $5,000 and is meant to further the initiatives trying to develop new projects such as diabetes education and prevention methods.
Diabetes is a complex disease in which the body cannot properly store or use sugar. Excess sugar in the body can lead to circulatory system problems, and eventually eyesight problems. It is, however, a disease that can be controlled through proper education and intervention strategies. One of the aims of the HEHP program is to educate the public about the detrimental effects diabetes can have on the eyes and the most effective ways to prevent vision loss caused by diabetes. According to the American Optometric Association, from 2004-2009, Healthy Eyes Healthy People® awarded a total of 279 grants, 80 of which were aimed at reducing visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy.
Vision is an essential part of our lives, and people with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to diabetic eye diseases. These conditions, particularly diabetic retinopathy, can cause vision loss and sometimes even blindness. According to the AOA, diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness if it is not detected and treated in time. The disease occurs when diabetics have high blood glucose levels, which can cause an overflow of liquid in the lens of the eye, resulting in irregular vision and damage to the retina. Once the glucose is stabilized, the swelling lessens and the blurriness goes away. Diabetic retinopathy often presents without any noticeable symptoms and can worsen without treatment. Monitoring glucose levels and following the AOA recommendation on receiving a full eye exam with dilation at least once a year can reduce the chance of getting diabetic retinopathy or that it will result in partial or full vision loss.
Healthy Eyes Healthy People® is trying to lessen the financial burden on the diabetic population by providing free vision screening, treatment and medication. Diabetes is recognized as a major public health problem with far reaching consequences, not just for its adverse impact on the health of Americans, but also for the economic burden it places on the health care system. The Healthy Eyes Healthy People ® program is trying to increase health-related quality of life (HRQOL) by focusing on diabetes and its impact on vision in the diabetic population. Diabetes and its complications have devastating effects on the HRQOL, along with massive strains on economic and social factors.
The AOA has developed a diabetic eye examination report that most optometrists in the Healthy Eyes Healthy People® program use to follow the clinical care guidelines. The HEHP program enables optometrists to see, diagnose, treat and educate patients about reducing visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy and the prevention of this disease and its complications. Optometrists can help decrease vision loss due to diabetic eye disease by raising public awareness.
By Uzma Zumbrink MPH, American Optometric Association, uazumbrink@aoa.org