Annual eye check keeps diabetes-linked blindness at bay

People with diabetes risk becoming blind but this can be prevented by a comprehensive eye check-up each year.

Diabetes interferes with the body’s ability to use and store sugar (glucose) and can damage vital organs, including the eyes.

University of Nairobi chairman of the ophthalmology department Jefitha Karimurio says high blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina — the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye. This, he says, leads to diabetic retinopathy, which is a serious sight-threatening complication of diabetes.

The university don was speaking last week at the launch of a report on diabetic retinopathy study conducted in Kitale.

“These findings are consistent with what other hospital-based studies show.

“A recent review showed that the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among diabetics in eastern Africa to range between 10 and 47 per cent,” he said.

While patients who have diabetic retinopathy have a 95 per cent chance of keeping their vision if they receive treatment before the retina is severely damaged, consultant ophthalmologist Githeko Kibata said, a simple retinal screening could save the patients sight.

“A patient with diabetes can read the paper in the night only to wake up to loss of sight so getting screened is the best measure to take since it can be fixed if detected early,” he said at the launch of the report.

However, warned patients against opticians who only offer glasses instead of a proper eye examination to asses the extent of retina damage.

“Hospital-based screening projects are best because the condition has no physical symptoms and signs.

“It is a gradual process and a patient can avoid the expensive repair procedure by simply doing a test every year,” he said.

Dr Kibata said diabetic retinopathy is slowly becoming the major cause of blindness in the world.

Prof Karimurio, who presented the findings, said Kenyans with visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy are about five times as many as the blind population.

People with all types of diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy and the risk increases the longer a person has the disease, he said.

Prof Karimurio added that the study shows that diabetic patients aged above 55 who have had the disease for more than 10 years are at the higher risk than other categories.