(By Dr. Aditi Singh)
Diabetes and eye health are deeply interconnected, yet many people continue to believe misconceptions that can risk long-term vision. Below is a myth-vs-fact breakdown shared by the expert.
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Myths And Facts You Should Know About
Myth 1: Diabetes is just sugar in blood, eyes are unaffected.
Fact: Diabetes can affect any structure of the eye, starting from the outermost eyelids to the innermost retina. Effects vary from being asymptomatic to complete blindness.
Myth 2: Eyes are safe when diabetes is well controlled.
Fact: Diabetes can silently damage your eyes even in the presence of normal blood sugar values. Diabetes is always a risk factor, irrespective of the diabetic control. Duration and associated comorbidities add layers to the damage.
Myth 3: No diabetic retinopathy today indicates that no retinal evaluation is needed in future.
Fact: A normal retina now ensures that regular screening is working, but does not guarantee that retina will stay so forever. Diabetes can cause fresh retinal damage within months or earlier; more so if associated with high BP, kidney disease, fluctuating blood glucose or hormonal changes. The aim of annual retinal examination is to detect any new change at the earliest and manage before it threatens vision.
Myth 4: Once diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, there is no going back; vision loss from diabetes is unavoidable.
Fact: Diabetic retinopathy is a major global cause of preventable blindness. With early detection and timely management, blindness due to diabetes is almost entirely preventable. Complete regression from early mild stages of diabetic retinopathy has been documented in some cases.
Myth 5: Eye examination is required only when symptoms develop.
Fact: Majority of vision threatening diabetic eye diseases develop quietly without any symptoms or warning signs. By the time diabetic retinopathy causes symptoms, permanent damage to retina might have already happened. Glaucoma, notoriously referred as the silent thief of vision has twofold risk in diabetics. Your regular eye exams alone can save your sight from these quiet attackers.
Myth 6: Diabetic eye disease affects only the elderly.
Fact: Diabetic eye disease can affect any age. Your youthfulness does not act as an armour against diabetic eye diseases. No age group is spared of recurrent stye, dry eyes, fluctuating refraction, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and early cataracts.
Myth 7: One single treatment session for diabetic retinopathy, protects retina lifelong.
Fact: Diabetic retinopathy is an ongoing disease process and the treatment is based on the course and treatment response. Even if initial treatment works, lifelong monitoring to pick up new changes and addressing them appropriately is the cornerstone of management.
Dr Aditi Singh is Sr. Consultant Ophthalmologist at Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, Mangalore
[Disclaimer: The information provided in the article is shared by experts and is intended for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.]
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