Saturday 14 November is World Diabetes Day and Diabetic RetinaScreen – The National Diabetic Retinal Screening Programme is reminding all those aged 12 and over with diabetes, to avail of free diabetic retinopathy screening. The longer you have had diabetes, the more likely you are to develop diabetic retinopathy.

If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. While diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes, regular eye screening can reduce the risk of sight loss. Free screening for diabetic retinopathy is offered at over 100 local screening centres nationwide. Details of all locations are available to view in the ‘Screening’ section of www.diabeticretinascreen.ie.

Diabetic retinopathy may not have any symptoms or may not affect sight in the early stages. When the condition is caught early, treatment is effective at reducing or preventing damage to sight.

Diabetic RetinaScreen became available to all those aged 12+ with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in 2013 and offers free annual screening. The programme has a register of people with diagnosed Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and encourages everyone with diabetes to make sure their details are correct. All those on the register are invited for free screening every year, and over 165,000 people have been invited to date.

For more information or to find out if you are on the register, call Freephone 1800 45 45 55 or visit www.diabeticretinascreen.ie.  

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