As Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month unfolds this November, the Alabama Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons is urging Alabamians with diabetes to make eye health a priority by scheduling a comprehensive eye exam.

According to a news release, diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness for adults aged 20 to 74 in the United States, and with Alabama facing one of the highest diabetes rates in the country, the call for regular check-ups is pressing.

In Alabama, nearly 600,000 adults — roughly 15% of the adult population — are diagnosed with diabetes, and an estimated 119,000 more live with undiagnosed diabetes. This high prevalence makes routine eye exams critical to catching and managing diabetic eye disease, which can silently advance without noticeable symptoms in its early stages.

Dr. Tarek Persaud, an ophthalmologist in Huntsville, emphasizes the importance of early intervention.

"It is really important to get your annual exam even if you are not having eye problems," Persaud said in the release. "Diabetic eye disease is fairly straightforward to correct if we catch it early enough. If we wait for the disease to become more advanced before acting, then often the diabetic damage can be a real struggle to repair and the patient is left with some permanent visual disability."

Diabetic retinopathy, the most common form of diabetic eye disease, often progresses without symptoms until it starts affecting vision, by which point the damage may be irreversible. Regular eye exams, experts say, can catch diabetic retinopathy in its early stages when it is more easily managed, potentially preserving sight and preventing the condition from escalating.

The Alabama Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons recommends that those with diabetes schedule a comprehensive eye exam annually. To learn more about maintaining eye health and preventing vision loss, visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart website at www.aao.org/eye-health.