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This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.

Diabetes is the number one cause of blindness in working age Americans. Every twenty-four hours, an average of fifty-five people in the United States become blind from diabetes. Even without complete loss of sight, decreased vision can lead to loss of independence and impaired ability to manage diabetes. You don’t need to be a vision specialist to make a difference. Ask your patients — Do you feel that you can see well enough to measure your insulin? To read your medication bottles? To check your feet? Refer people with impaired vision to an optometrist or ophthalmologist for diagnosis and treatment, and to organizations, such as the National Federation of the Blind for free information and support. Innovative tools, such as talking blood glucose monitors and other low vision aids make it possible for people with even severe vision loss to use insulin, perform blood glucose self-monitoring, and maintain a high quality of life.

The National Federation of the Blind can be reached at www.nfb.org or call toll free, 1-888-581-4741. The National Diabetes Education Program, or NDEP, has information and free educational materials for health care professionals and for people with diabetes. Visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org or call toll free, 1-888-693-NDEP.

For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.