Pune : With rising incidence of type 2 diabetes hitting the young as well as adolescents, the complications could come much earlier in life. The longer a person lives with diabetes, the greater the risk of eye damage if blood sugar is not managed well. Therefore, young diabetics should be extra careful about their eyes, opined experts.
As the world observes World Diabetes Day on November 14, it is necessary to draw attention to Diabetic Retinopathy, one of the most overlooked complications of diabetes. It is one of the leading causes of blindness amongst the working-age adults in India.
Dr. Rashmi Kashikar, a retina specialist at PBMA’s H. V. Desai Eye Hospital said that more than half the patients coming to our clinic are unaware how diabetes can affect their retinas. There is clearly a need for more awareness and action.
She added that type 1 Diabetic patients are recommended to have their retinal examination after five years of diagnosis and for type 2 diabetes patients, they are recommended to have retinal exam at the time of diagnosis itself. Especially those with other complications like those of kidneys, those who are on dialysis need to make sure that they get their retina checked more frequently. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when persistently high blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Over time, this damage can cause blurred vision, floaters, bleeding inside the eye, or even permanent blindness if left untreated. Early detection and timely treatment are crucial, yet many patients remain unaware of the condition until it reaches an advanced stage.
Dr. Kashikar said that with diabetes hitting the young Indian population, every young diabetic needs to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Obesity and insulin resistance are the two most common risk factors for faster progression of diabetic retinopathy in young diabetics . Chances of severity of diabetic retinopathy and complications in young age patients is more as they have a longer exposure to hyperglycaemia and often have poorer glycaemic control.
As per WHO classification both type 1 and type 2 diabetes diagnosed before 25 years of age is considered as young diabetics
Taking the lack of awareness in consideration and the need to increase the outreach, we have been doing screenings especially in the slum areas. Currently, the screening is underway in the slums in PCMC and Chakan areas. Daily we screen about 30-40 patients informed Dr.Kuldeep Dole, Medical Director , H.V Desai Eye Hospital.
