Screening event aims to save vision for people with diabetes
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Three Philadelphia health systems want to save vision in the city by offering a free community screening event for people with diabetes. Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness.
Stephanie Seay says she's finally doing the right thing to save her remaining vision by getting her eyes checked.
"I didn't do the things I needed to do," Seay said.
The retired Philadelphia school teacher has diabetes, which has robbed her vision.
"It looks like somebody was putting Vaseline over my eyes," she said. "It's frightening. I get chills."
Diabetic retinopathy is the number one cause of blindness in working-age Americans.
"It causes bleeding scaring in the retina," Wills Eye Hospital Dr. Allen Ho said.
Ho is on a mission to reverse the disturbing trend.
"It's such a crazy thing that people are going blind when we have treatments," Ho said. "It's just that we're not getting to them early enough.
Doctors say the main reason people have diabetic vision loss is they don't get screened.
Wills, Scheie Eye Institute Penn Presbyterian and Temple University Hospital are aiming to change that with a day of free screenings.
"An effort to basically eliminate diabetic blindness in Philadelphia," Ho said. "We're going to get rid of this."
Ho organized the diabetes day screenings that will take place in the three locations Saturday, April 29.
"If people did annual diabetic eye screens," Ho said, "even if they're not having problems, we'd save a lot of blindness."
It's all about early detection -- before symptoms show up -- when treatments are most effective.
"They're trying to save my right eye," Seay said.
The teacher says it's a lesson she learned too late, her vision being a high price to pay.
"Know that going to the doctor is not a death sentence," Seay said.
Appointments are necessary for the free screenings on April 29.
Diabetes Vision Screening
When: Saturday, April 29, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Appointments can be made online or by phone via the following options for each participating health system.
- Wills Eye: E-mail WEODD@willseye.org or schedule online
- UPENN: E-mail Penn.diabetes.day@gmail.com or schedule online
- Temple: Call 215-707-3185