An Optometrist, Dr. Oluchi Ubani has urged diabetes patients to carry out regular eye checks to reduce the prevalence of cataracts.
He noted diabetes increased sugar levels in persons with diabetes can predispose them to cataracts.
According to the optometrist, anything that affects the body also affects the eyes, adding that diabetic patients should regularly see an optometrist when they are diagnosed with diabetes.
According to MedicineNet, diabetes is a chronic condition associated with abnormally high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood.
It noted that insulin produced by the pancreas lowers blood glucose, adding that the absence or insufficient production of insulin, or an inability of the body to properly use insulin causes diabetes.
“The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 and type 2. Former names for these conditions were insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes, or juvenile-onset and adult-onset diabetes.
“Some of the risk factors for getting diabetes include being overweight or obese, leading a sedentary lifestyle, a family history of diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and low levels of the “good” cholesterol (HDL) and elevated levels of triglycerides in the blood,” it stated.
The online medical portal, however, warned that without ongoing, careful management, diabetes can increase the risk of dangerous complications, including stroke and heart disease.
On how diabetes affects the human eyes, WebMD noted that it is the primary cause of blindness in adults ages 20 to 74.
It warned that it can also lead to problems like blurry vision, cataracts, glaucoma, and advised those with diabetes to pay regular visits to eye specialists.
According to HealthLine, an online medical portal, cataract is a dense, cloudy area that forms in the lens of the eye, noting that it begins when proteins in the eye form clumps that prevent the lens from sending clear images to the retina.
It explained that cataract develops slowly and eventually interferes with vision.
“You might end up with cataracts in both eyes, but they usually don’t form at the same time,” it added.
Ubani said people diagnosed with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts, advised, “Once diagnosed of any disease, the next stop should be at the optometrist, because anything that affects the body affects the eyes too.”
Ubani also noted that trauma and prolonged exposure to UV rays, especially from the sun, increases the chances of one developing cataracts.
Medical News Today, a web-based medical platform noted that diabetic patients are more likely to develop cataracts than those living without the condition.
It noted that people with diabetes can experience damage to blood vessels in the eyes due to high blood sugar and swelling in the liquid between the eyeball and cornea lens.
“The main risk factors for people with diabetes to develop cataracts are older age, long duration of diabetes, and decreased metabolic control.”
The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention noted that 32 per cent of adults aged 45 and above who have diabetes also have cataracts, while those over 65 with diabetes are twice more likely to develop cataracts than people of the same age without the medical condition.”
