As part of World Diabetes Day being observed on Sunday, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital is offering free consultation to diabetics over the age of 50 until the end of the month.
As many as 30% of diabetics in the country develop diabetic retinopathy, which could lead to blindness.
Reducing risk
A regular annual check and early intervention for vision problems could reduce the risk, said Triveni, cataract surgeon at the hospital.
Diabetic retinopathy could lead to abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye, affecting vision by causing internal bleeding, blocking fluids, damaging the retina and optic nerves and even displacing the retina, she explained.
In a country with 80 million diabetics, at least 25 million could have diabetic retinopathy, the specialist said.
While persons with Type-1 Diabetes (juvenile diabetes) must get their eyes screened annually, starting from the fifth year of diagnosis, those with Type-2 diabetes must undergo an eye check-up every year after diagnosis.
“Symptoms could include blurred vision and floating of dark spots or strings. When these are not treated immediately, it could lead to permanent loss of vision,” Dr. Triveni added.
Diabetic retinopathy can be diagnosed through a comprehensive examination of the retina and macula.
Various treatments
Treatment includes laser surgery to seal leaking blood vessels, injection of medications into the eyes to decrease inflammation, and surgical procedure to remove and replace the gel-like fluid in the back of the eye or to repair a retinal detachment.
The world over, 2.5% of all blindness is caused by diabetic retinopathy.
In Southeast Asia, about 17% of the population is diabetics. This number is expected to increase to 19% by 2030.
