Blind Inverness woman urges people to take their eye health seriously this Diabetes Week

ANGELA Clelland (47) from Inverness received a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy during lockdown, a major cause of sight loss in working age adults.

It is a complication of diabetes that the Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland (RNIB) wants to highlight during Diabetes Week from June 13-19.

Ms Clelland described the ordeal of her diagnosis: ""Getting diagnosed was very, very scary because I was isolated in the pandemic. If you are on your own, it affects everything from simple things like making a cup of tea, having the confidence to go out, or not being able to check your diabetes because you can't read the monitor.

"You need to take your eye health seriously. You need to make sure that you are going for your eye health checks. Even with the slightest change, go to your optician. As things were delayed due to COVID, I would urge anybody who is maybe late or due an appointment to go and make one, because the effect on your life if you don't go and something happens is devastating."

RNIB director James Adams added: "Diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes, can affect the small blood vessels at the back of the eye and is a major cause of sight loss among working-age adults. But damage to vision can be arrested if detected early enough.

"While it’s possible that diabetes won’t cause any changes to your vision, the most effective thing you can do to prevent sight loss is to go to your retinal screening appointments and eye examinations, where safety measures are in place."

If you are worried about your vision, contact RNIB on 03031239999.

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