Clear eyesight does not mean a healthy retina, diabetics should get it checked every year
Diabetic retinopathy shows no symptoms early, and people with diabetes should have their retina examined every year, the report says.
Most people assume that if they can see, their eyes must be perfectly fine. That is not entirely true. At the back of the eye lies a layer called the retina, and it is this layer that actually helps in seeing. Even when the eyes look good from outside, the retina inside can be damaged without the person knowing. Diabetes can affect the retina.
The number of people with diabetes in India has risen sharply. According to available information, about 10 crore people have diabetes. Between 12 and 16 per cent of them already have retinal damage from it, which doctors call diabetic retinopathy. Put simply, one in nine people has diabetes, and one in every six people with diabetes has begun to have trouble with their eyes. One in every 25 is on the verge of losing sight. More startling, 8 per cent of people do not know they have diabetes.
The biggest danger of this disease is that it shows no symptoms. It progresses slowly and nothing is noticed at first. There is no pain, eyesight does not weaken, and the person feels all is well. Some 85 per cent of people with diabetes do not know that diabetes can cause loss of eyesight, and they have never had their retina examined. By the time they reach a doctor, 45 per cent have already lost a great deal of vision, and it is too late. The risk is higher for those who have had diabetes for many years, and it rises further if blood sugar is not under control.
A person who loses eyesight can neither work nor study. The effect falls not only on the individual but also on the family and the country. By one estimate, India loses about Rs 50,000 crore every year because of this eye disease, as people are unable to work.
The remedy suggested is an eye examination every year. People should not ignore the matter because their vision seems fine. Those with diabetes in particular should get the retina checked every year. It has also been said that the government should pay attention to this. Villages should have retina screening machines, good doctors should be available, treatment should be affordable and it should be covered by insurance. Every diabetes-related programme should include an eye check-up.
A programme called Vision Saathi has been launched for this. According to Dr Karobi Lahiri, vice-president of the Vitreo Retinal Society India and consultant at Bombay Hospital and Medical Research Centre, it is a nationwide programme. Scanning a QR code brings 14 short messages on WhatsApp. They explain in simple language what diabetes does to the eye, why examination is necessary and where to get treatment. Once people have the information, they go to a doctor in time.
