Diabetic Native Americans in Oregon provided eye exams

Some Native Americans in Oregon travel up to 150 miles to recieve medical treatment at the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center but, until recently, they were not offered eye treatment.

That changed four years ago when the clinic was equipped with a camera that loaded images of patients' eyes onto a computer, where doctors in far away Portland can analyze them.

"We're in rural eastern Oregon, so the fact that we're having these top docs from OHSU and Devers reading them is great," telemedicine coordinator Joann Malumaleumu told the news source.

This service is aimed particularly at increasing the frequency of eye exams among those who have diabetes. The disease can break blood vessels in the retina, which can lead to diabetic retinopathy. Despite the fact that visual impairment is common among diabetic patients, very few recieve regular eye exams.

"Only about 50 percent (of diabetics) get an annual eye exam," ophthalmologist Steve Mansberger informed the news provider.

According to AllAboutVision.com, there are a number of steps that one can take to avoid diabetic retinopathy, including regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet and monitoring blood pressure.