THE study carried out by icddr,b revealed that 28 percent respondents out of 465 diabetic patients with an average age of 49 years have been suffering from a condition, leading to retinal damage and possible blindness. It may be overcome by timely treatment and awareness of patients. But the awareness facilities are missing making patients more vulnerable to suffer. The study covered patients who came to take treatment at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital and MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital in Sylhet during May and June this year.
This existing rate of retinal damage is very alarming, as 91 percent patients don’t know diabetic retinopathy may lead to the permanent blindness. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness caused by diabetes. Diabetes reduces the supply of oxygen to the retina. The retina is especially oxygen-starved at night. In response to this demand, the body signals for additional blood vessels to be formed in this region. These new blood vessels are very weak and the leaking of these blood vessels eventually leads to macular edema, which destroys a patient’s eyesight.
Diabetes has emerged as a great health problem now. Any laxity in its control may cause colossal damage. In 2014, diabetic patients in Bangladesh were 5.9 million. Within this short span of two years, it has turned into 8.4 million, is the matter of great concern. Besides, experts also fear that the figure may rise due to sedentary lifestyle and rapid urbanization across the country. So, it is crucial for eye screening arrangements for diabetic patients to be in place in all hospitals. Reports said that the eye complication such as diabetic retinopathy is found to have surfaced in patients who have been suffering from diabetes for five years on an average. Along with this complication, these patients have been suffering from other eye related diseases like diabetic macular edema (DME), cataract and glaucoma.
It is highly frightening that only 18 percent patients under the study have uncontrolled diabetes. In this situation, it is much required for serious attention from the authorities concerned to increase the awareness about it. There must be also screening facilities at hospitals to alert patients. It is also suggestive that a countrywide study on risk factors of diabetic retinopathy needs to be undertaken to get a complete picture of the situation. As untreated errors of diabetic retinopathy may worsen with time with a resultant effect on vision and nobody can ignore it. So in our view the government facility at hospitals must be strengthened to take good care of diabetic patients.
This existing rate of retinal damage is very alarming, as 91 percent patients don’t know diabetic retinopathy may lead to the permanent blindness. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness caused by diabetes. Diabetes reduces the supply of oxygen to the retina. The retina is especially oxygen-starved at night. In response to this demand, the body signals for additional blood vessels to be formed in this region. These new blood vessels are very weak and the leaking of these blood vessels eventually leads to macular edema, which destroys a patient’s eyesight.
Diabetes has emerged as a great health problem now. Any laxity in its control may cause colossal damage. In 2014, diabetic patients in Bangladesh were 5.9 million. Within this short span of two years, it has turned into 8.4 million, is the matter of great concern. Besides, experts also fear that the figure may rise due to sedentary lifestyle and rapid urbanization across the country. So, it is crucial for eye screening arrangements for diabetic patients to be in place in all hospitals. Reports said that the eye complication such as diabetic retinopathy is found to have surfaced in patients who have been suffering from diabetes for five years on an average. Along with this complication, these patients have been suffering from other eye related diseases like diabetic macular edema (DME), cataract and glaucoma.
It is highly frightening that only 18 percent patients under the study have uncontrolled diabetes. In this situation, it is much required for serious attention from the authorities concerned to increase the awareness about it. There must be also screening facilities at hospitals to alert patients. It is also suggestive that a countrywide study on risk factors of diabetic retinopathy needs to be undertaken to get a complete picture of the situation. As untreated errors of diabetic retinopathy may worsen with time with a resultant effect on vision and nobody can ignore it. So in our view the government facility at hospitals must be strengthened to take good care of diabetic patients.
