Male Speaker: Almost two million Canadians are currently diagnosed with diabetes and the prevalence is rising among middle-aged individuals. It can lead to serious eye complications including diabetic retinopathy, which if left unchecked can cause blindness.
Dr. Upen Kawale: Many patients have misconceptions about diabetic retinopathy. A lot of them don't truly understand the full implications of the damage that can occur from the disease. In fact, the matter is diabetic retinopathy like diabetes is a progressive condition. So annual eye examinations and follow up are crucial for early detection and intervention to help the patient.
Male Speaker: DR is detected in up to 70% of individuals with Type 1 diabetes and 40% of those with Type 2 diabetes. It is caused by chronic exposure to high blood sugar, which can stimulate change in small and large blood vessels. According to recent findings by Ipsos Reid, an alarming 43% of people with diabetes don't understand the signs and symptoms associated with DR.
Dr. Upen Kawale: Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy are not typically scene in the first stage of disease. So there really no alarm bells to warn the patient that something is wrong. So patients can often go undiagnosed until vision damage has already occurred.
Male Speaker: As the disease progresses, symptoms may include spots or floaters in the field of vision, blurred vision, dark or empty spots in the center of vision and difficulty seeing well at night.
Naresh Karnick: I was diagnosed with diabetes about 12 years ago, and I make sure to inform my eye doctor. I read that because I have increased risk of diabetic retinopathy, regular screening is an important part of the treatment.
Male Speaker: People with DR have an increased sensitivity to UV and Glare which is why it's important to speak with your doctor about vision wear options to enhance vision quality.
To aid in the process of awareness and diagnosis an educational piece has been developed for ECPs titled, Management of Diabetic Retinopathy Cases in Canadian Opthalmic Practice: A Resource for Eye Care Professionals, to keep them up-to-date on the recent advances in eye health.
Development of the reports stands from a working group meeting on diabetes convened earlier this year funded through the Transitions Partners in Education Program. Medical changes or vision problems should be reported to your optometrist.
For more information about eye health visit www.transitions.com.
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