Diabetes – How it affects your eyesight

With thousands of people around the UAE joining walks in support of awareness to the cause this year, the attention on this serious diabetes diseases has become increasingly recognizable. The lifestyle of an average UAE resident has changed in the recent past, with healthier diets and more active lifestyle choices being available and opted for.

However, despite the rising trends in awareness and knowledge levels amongst common man, diabetes is still highly underdiagnosed. International Diabetes Federation has released data which highlights that one in two adults with diabetes are undiagnosed.

How diabetes affects your eyes

Did you know that Diabetes is a risk factor for developing eye ailments like cataracts, glaucoma, ischemic eye conditions, optic neuropathy, ocular movement disorders, macular edema and retinopathy??

Although, Diabetes affects the overall health of the body, many are not aware of the deadly threats diabetes poses to their eyesight. This lack of insight along with delay in the diagnosis and improper management often leads to eye disorders related to diabetes. Dr. Anjini Gupta, iCare Clinics, would like to emphasize that very few people are aware of the fact that diabetes can cause blindness due to its ill effects on our eyes and wants to insist upon the importance of early diagnosis and timely management that can be achieved with regular eye checkups.

• Most common condition, caused by diabetes that affects the eye and is Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).It is considered as the main cause of blindness amongst working-age adults. The main problem of this condition is that it generally goes unnoticed until the loss has occured.
• Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is a condition that is often a consequence of DR. If left untreated, this condition causes swelling inside the retina. DME commonly presents as blurred vision, floaters or waviness in the vision.
• Cataract may either appear at an early age or progress faster amongst people suffering from diabetes. Cataract is mainly caused due to increased glucose levels in the eye lens leading to its clouding.
• Glaucoma affects the optic nerve that transmits images to the brain and is generally a result of increase in the pressure inside the eye. Hazy or Blurred vision, pain in the eye, headache, nausea, and appearance of colored circles while looking at bright light are a few symptoms of glaucoma.

Following a healthy lifestyle and nutritious eating habits along with some form of regular physical activity, will ensure that you lead a disease free life. Sincere changes towards improving your overall way of living will keep the ailments and diseases at bay, thus enabling you to have a more enjoyable and wholesome life.

Source: http://www.healthmagazine.ae/press_release/diabetes-affects-eyesight/