One out of three people with uncontrolled diabetes develop diabetic retinopathy

HYDERABAD: One in every three people with uncontrolled diabetes for 10-12 years develop diabetic retinopathy, which causes irreversible eye damage and vision loss if not treated in time. According to Dr. Saurabh Choudhry, CEO of ICARE Eye Hospital, diabetic retinopathy is the third leading cause of blindness in India after cataract and glaucoma, but the majority of Indians are unaware that diabetes affects the eyes.

Dr. Saurabh Choudhry, CEO of ICARE Eye Hospital, Noida: "According to recent studies, 63 percent of Indians lack awareness that diabetes can damage eye health. In fact, 93 percent of diabetic patients in the country tend to visit an ophthalmologist only after they have started experiencing vision problems. But at that stage, the damage to the eye is significant and treatment becomes difficult. Eyes are a window to the body. Through regular eye checkups, diabetes-induced changes in the eyes can be picked up early, even though the patient has no symptoms. In fact, a huge number of cases of diabetes get diagnosed due to a routine eye exam! It is recommended that all healthy people should undergo an eye exam once a year, and diabetic patients should see an eye doctor once every four months."

He added, "About 80% of patients of diabetic retinopathy face visual challenges while driving, reading, or working. Early detection, keeping good control of sugar levels and availability of laser procedures can allow diabetic patients to maintain good vision lifelong. Unfortunately, most patients in India, even though belonging to the affluent, educated class of the society, do not undergo regular screening for either eyes or diabetes, and reach us in advanced stages when treatment becomes a challenge. Regular eye screening and on-time treatment is mandatory for a diabetic patient to prevent complications of retinopathy."

Diabetic retinopathy affects more than 95 million adults worldwide. Approximately 80 percent of them have visual difficulties while driving, reading, or working. Diabetes causes dry eyes and the early onset of cataracts, in addition to diabetic retinopathy. According to the doctor, diabetic patients develop cataracts in their mid-fifties, about ten years earlier than non-diabetic patients.

Dr. Saurabh Choudhry: "Most patients in India do not realize they have diabetes until or unless they need to go to a hospital due to some complication of the disease. Routine eye screening is not a priority in India, leading to large number of diabetic patients turning blind or landing up at hospitals for prolonged treatment, which is expensive for their families and not sustainable if they are from an underprivileged socio-economic background."

ICARE Eye Hospital sees over 150 patients per day, about 100 of whom are diabetic. Nearly 40 of these 100 people have diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic retinopathy develops when blood vessels in the retina become damaged as a result of high blood sugar levels in the body. Floaters, blurriness, blank or dark areas of vision, poor night vision, and difficulty perceiving colours are early symptoms. While mild cases can be treated with proper diabetes management, severe cases necessitate laser therapy or surgery.