Lions Rick Siders and Kurt Peters show the ease of a retina screening at the Sanibel Health Fair
The Sanibel-Captiva Lions Club served 20 adults at its complimentary retina screening during the Sanibel Health Fair at Center 4 Life. Lions served an additional 20 adults during a health screening held a few days earlier at the Sanibel Recreation Center.
For the retina screen, a high-resolution digital photograph is taken of the back interior portion of the eye called the retina and without dilating the pupil. The image provides invaluable baseline information to assist a doctor in determining if there have been any changes in eye health.
Diabetic Retinopathy is one of the leading causes of adult blindness in the country. The Lions program detects this disease as well as many cases of macular degeneration and other retinal disorders. Those who exhibit symptoms of retinal disease are encouraged to seek care from the ophthalmologist of their choice.
The health screenings, taking about 30 minutes each, include diabetes, glaucoma, hearing and blood pressure tests free of charge. Anyone with potential health issues are referred to local physicians for further diagnosis and/or treatment.
While there are no more retina screenings planned for this year, there will be a diabetes, vision and hearing screening from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 21 at the Sanibel Recreation Center. It’s free of charge and no appointment is necessary.
Lions meet the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Sanibel Community House. Visiting Lions are welcome. For more information or to get involved, visit sanibelcaptivalions.org.