Part 1: Diabetes and the Eye - Causes and Treatments Diabetes is a major health issue in North America. There are approximately 1.4 million people in Canada with diabetes and this number is expected to increase to 3 million by 2010. According to the Ontario Ministry of Health, as many as 200,000 residents in Ontario have the disease and do not even know it. Why is the incidence of diabetes still increasing at alarming rates? One factor is the improved methods of diagnosis, which makes it easier to identify new diabetics. Most experts place most of the blame primarily on the apparent epidemic of obesity in our society today. Obesity presents many health risks; developing diabetes being the greatest. Diabetes is a disease in which the blood glucose levels are too high. After a meal, food is broken down into a sugar called glucose which is transported by the blood to the cells throughout the body. Insulin is needed to convert the glucose into energy. With Type1 or early-onset diabetes, there is a lack or absence of insulin in the body to perform this process. Type 2 or late-onset diabetics produce enough insulin; however the body does not properly use it to convert the glucose into energy. Prolonged increased blood glucose levels can lead to nerve and blood vessel damage, which ultimately can result in stroke, heart disease, blindness, extremity amputation and even death. The most damaging eye condition caused by diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. The incidence of this disease increases the longer someone has diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy causes the blood vessels of the retina (inner layer of the back of the eye) to leak, swell or develop abnormally which causes damage to the retina. This can result in vision loss that can range from mild to severe. Laser surgery can be used by an ophthalmologist to minimize the damage caused by diabetic retinopathy. However, laser surgery must be done in a timely fashion to be effective and it does not always return vision back to normal levels. The lasers used to treat diabetic retinopathy are much different than the lasers used for refractive eye surgery. Another surgical option for patients suffering from persistent diabetic retinopathy involves the surgeon injecting the eyeball with a steroid to stabilize the damaging effects of the retinopathy. There are now new medications that can be injected in the eyeball that can prevent the growth of the abnormal blood vessels seen in diabetic retinopathy. Very often people with diabetes do not know that they have diabetic retinopathy until significant damage is done to the retina. Prevention of diabetic retinopathy is best accomplished by maintaining normal blood glucose levels, blood pressure and blood lipid levels. A regular eye exam (minimum once a year) by an optometrist or ophthalmologist is essential to catch retinal changes as early as possible. Part 2: Diabetes and the Eye - Diagnosis and Control Can diabetes be harmful to your vision? OAO's Dr. Bill Ulakovic explains that it diabetes can bring about an adverse impact to your eyesight and vision health. In the decade between 1995 and 2005, the overall prevalence of diabetes in Ontario increased by 69 per cent, a rate that continues to increase each year. And within 20 years of onset, the majority of patients with diabetes will develop diabetic retinopathy – the leading cause of blindness among Canadians between the ages of 30 and 69.
It may be easy to dismiss these conditions as affecting only the elderly, but factors such as diet, pregnancy and hereditary predisposition can all be major influences on your vision health.
And while family physicians are vital in working with patients to control diabetes, preventive eye care services, provided by optometrists to those at significant risk of vision loss, preserve sight and help minimize the costs of future health care services.
The good news is that with regular eye examinations, good blood glucose control and incorporating a healthy and active lifestyle you can reduce the risk of ocular complications from diabetes.
But most important of all; consult your optometrist! Optometrists are vision specialists that are trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of oculovisual abnormalities and we’re here to help you with all your eye and vision health needs.
A regular eye exam is a key part of good vision health. Use our find an optometrist directory to find an eye doctor near you and to schedule an appointment. |
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