Influenza usually gets the buzz during the Fall as students and parents get flu shots in mass. But, just as common during the Fall as children and adults alike touch door handles, keyboards, desks, railings, technology, etc. When you consider how many things you touch during the day, combined with how often humans touch our face (spoiler alert: hundreds of times a day), viruses and bacteria can quickly spread from one person to another, especially the most common eye infection - conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye.

Almost 10% of people in the United States suffer from diabetes. This means that 29 million people have glucose, or blood sugar, levels that are elevated. Over the years, this high level of glucose can damage your eyes. The most common eye problem linked to diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which is a leading cause of blindness for adults in America. This means that the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye, your retina, becomes damaged; a healthy retina is vital for clear vision. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy are blurry vision, floating or dark spots, and a pain or pressure in your eyes. Diabetes is also linked to an elevated risk of cataracts and glaucoma. These are all serious eye diseases that can be prevented by good eye care. There are 3 main ways to avoid diabetes-related eye complications: