General EYE ADVICE

Diabetic Eye Disease

The fundus check in the eye also reveals any changes of the retina that can possibly occur due to age, or due to a systemic problem, such as diabetes, high blood pressure etc. Diabetes can be quite a serious disease. It is becoming more and more common. In 1996, Australian health ministers declared diabetes as a national health priority area. The adult onset type of diabetes occurs around middle age. A very important duty of eyecare practitioners is to be aware of diabetes and to refer for blood sugar testing if there are eye signs or symptoms involved or if the history is suggestive of diabetes.

Diabetes can affect the retina to varying degrees. Some individuals are especially prone to diabetic retinopathy. However, good control of sugar levels through proper diet and exercise, and avoidance of nervous stress, certainly helps to prevent retinal damage. Patients with recent-onset undiagnosed diabetes often complain of vision changes unrelated to the retina. Eyecare practitioners are not uncommonly asked to change the power of the lenses. If the concept of causality of disease is important to the practitioner, he/she will want to know the cause for the change in vision and will suspect diabetes among other causes. When the diabetes is treated, the vision often reverts to its previous state after a period of up to a few months. Any changes in prescription are best made when the vision has stabilised. Diabetes can be a contributing factor to other eye disease such as cataract and glaucoma.

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