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Diabetes and Eye

India is tipped to be the diabetes capital of the world by 2020. Diabetes mellitus affects various organs in the body including the eye. The changes in the eye due to diabetes are called diabetic retinopathy. Uma Eye Clinic has been providing Diabetic Eye Care Services for more than two decades. The Clinic has got a dedicated Vitreoretinal Surgeon who has been trained in world class institutes to handle patients with Diabetic Eye Diseases.

How does diabetes affect vision?

In diabetes mellitus, if the sugar level is not maintained under control with treatment, the blood vessels in the retina become structurally weak and leaky. This results in fluid accumulation in the retina or bleeding inside the eye. In advanced stages, there can be retinal detachment too. However, there are no symptoms in the early stage of the disease. The patient may notice slight reduction in vision or distortion of images. Many a time changes in the retina are diagnosed on routine examination. If left undetected, diabetic retinopathy can cause severe retinal damage and irreversible loss of vision.

How is diabetic retinopathy treated?

All diabetics should have periodical eye check up to find out if diabetic retinopathy has developed. Detection and grading is done on dilated retinal examination. Uma Eye Clinic offers comprehensive facilities to diagnose and treat diabetic retinopathy. The facilities to diagnose diabetic retinopathy available at Uma Eye Clinic are
- Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy.
- Indirect Ophthalmoscopy.
- Fundus photography
- Fundus Flourescein Angiography
- Optical Coherence Tomography

Diabetic retinopathy can be treated with laser, intra vitreal injections or surgery. Uma Eye Clinic is equipped with state of the art Argon Laser Photocoagulation machine, Accurus Vitrectomy machine for retinal surgeries. Uma Eye Clinic offers suture less Vitrectomy surgeries for vitreous hemorrhage / retinal detachment due to diabetes retinopathy

If I am a diabetic what should I do to protect my eyes from diabetic retinopathy?

(1) Keep your sugar under good control
(2) Have periodical eye check up (at least once in a year) – Remember the involvement of eye is related to both the severity and duration of diabetes mellitus. So, longer you have diabetes, your eyes may get affected even if your sugar is under control.
(3) Follow the doctor’s advise regarding the various modes of treatment and follow up