A piece of string can help you save your vision and your life

Thousands of South Africans are at risk for vision loss and serious illness, and they do not even know it.

During World Retina Week, Retina South Africa is creating awareness of the early warning signs of prediabetes and vision loss.  

So, what can we do to avert a looming diabetes epidemic?  The good news is that all it takes is a piece of string.

One of the earliest symptoms of prediabetes is an expanding waistline. So, take a piece of string measure your waist where you bend naturally in the middle. Then measure your hips where your leg joins your torso. This is where your leg bends when you sit down.

If your waist measurement is smaller than your hip measurement this is a good sign, and you are probably safe. However, if you have an expanding waistline and your waist is larger than your hips this could be an early warning sign that gives you time to take action and prevent the development of diabetes.

It has been shown that more than 20% of people who are diagnosed with diabetes for the first time already have some damage to the retina that threatens their vision.

Stop this happening in your life by taking steps today. Try to include food in your diet from every colour of the rainbow every day, especially green leafy vegetables. Try to move a little more so that you get those muscles working, your blood pumping, and your insulin working adequately.

If you smoke, stop! And no more than one light beer, OR one glass of wine, OR one tot of spirits daily.

These steps towards health can help to delay or even avert diabetes completely. And of course, by preventing pre-diabetes or diabetes, you can help you to avoid heart attacks, strokes, amputations, kidney failure, and of course blindness.

Please see your eye care professional every year to check for early changes and get your blood sugar checked regularly.  

It all starts with a piece of string.

For more information please contact Retina South Africa: 
www.retinasa.org.za 
headoffice@retinasa.org.za
0860 595959

For Interviews please contact:
Karen Denton                                                                 
Email:    karen@retinasa.org.za                                 
Mobile: 081 311 2255                                                    

Claudette Medefindt
Email: claudette@retinasa.org.za
Mobile: 083 306 5262

You are welcome to download this poster and use it to sensitize your colleagues. (Download)