Diabetes and Eye

Since Diabetes Mellitus (DM) may cause damage in the long term by disrupting the vascular structure in all the tissues of your body where the small blood vessels are present, your heart, kidneys and eyes are the organs under significant risk when the disease exists. DM may affect the eyes in time, resulting in cataract and edema and/or hemorrhage in the retinal tissue.

Long term DM, uncontrolled blood glucose level, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and smoking increase this risk. It is very important that the patients with Type 1 and Type 2 DM get regular ophthalmologic examination and that the early treatment is started where necessary, in order to conserve the vision and prevent the likely serious losses of vision.

The primary principle of the treatment is to bring the blood glucose level under control and correct the other systemic problems such as the hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. By means of the necessary laser and intraocular drug therapies employed under a proper control of blood glucose level, it would be possible to preclude the likely intraocular hemorrhage and the serious losses of vision associated with the edema developing in the macula.

ASSOC. PROF. M. NECATİ DEMİR