Diabetes is a chronic health condition which can lead to serious damage to the heart, kidneys, blood vessels, nerves and eyes. It is estimated that today, 1 in 10 people are affected by diabetes, a number which has been steadily increasing for the past few decades.
When it comes to the eyes, it is estimated that roughly 1 in 5 of those with diabetes will develop some level of diabetic retinopathy. Having diabetes also doubles your risk for Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) and makes you up to 5 times more likely to develop cataracts. The longer a patient has lived with diabetes, the type of diabetes and the worse their blood glucose control, the more likely these complications are to develop. So, what can we do as optometrists and ophthalmologists?
Early detection of retinopathy is critical and can help prevent up to 98% of severe visual impairment cases. Patients with diabetes should undergo a comprehensive dilated eye exam annually, to check for any signs of diabetic retinopathy. Optometry Australia guidelines recommend prompt referral retinopathy of anyone with moderate or worse non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, anyone with diabetic macula oedema and those with unexplained vision loss. Treatment of diabetes is a co-operative effort amongst many health professionals and as such, a letter to the patients GP should also be completed at each visit.
At QERS we specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. We have facilities to perform high-definition Macula OCT and Macula OCT-angiography, as well as Fundus Fluorescein Angiography. Our Ophthalmologists are specialised in medical retinal treatment (i.e.: Anti-VEGF Intravitreal injections) and Dr Sean Cheng is further specialised in surgical treatment (i.e.: Vitrectomy, Pan-retinal Photocoagulation).
Treatment for diabetic retinopathy can be very successful, but diabetic eye disease can cause fluctuations in the patient’s level of vision.
Monday the 14th of November is World Diabetes Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of the scourge that is diabetes, and the risk it poses to our eyesight.
If you need more information about diabetes, then we recommend contacting Diabetes Australia, and if you do have diabetes, then why not sign up with KeepSight, and receive regular reminders to have your eyes tested.