The Importance of Annual Diabetes Screenings

As someone with diabetes, receiving annual diabetes screenings is crucial to your health. These screenings establish a baseline of your health and can catch any changes before they turn into major issues. Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure. A1c screenings and Diabetic Eye Exams are two of the most important screenings to have done each year to prevent other major illnesses. 

 An A1c screening measures your average blood sugar level from the past 2 to 3 months. A1c screenings are a simple blood test that can be used to determine if you have prediabetes or diabetes, and can also show how well your treatment is working. Typically, those with diabetes will have two A1c screenings a year, however your provider may recommend that you have more than two. A1c target levels are different for everyone and can vary based on your age and other health factors. 

Diabetic eye exams are vital to your eye health as diabetes is the number one cause of blindness in those under the age of 75.  An annual eye exam is one of the easiest diabetic screenings to have done and can prevent almost 95%  of diabetes related vision loss. During this exam, a provider will check the blood vessels in your retina. The retina is the light sensitive part of your eye which can be damaged by diabetes, causing blindness. 

The providers at Village Health Partners are experienced in diabetes and work with patients to diagnose, monitor, and treat this condition so that patients can manage it properly and live a healthy life. 

Overdue for your A1c Screening or Diabetic Eye Exam? Schedule an appointment  with Village Health Partners.