Pride News Canada's Leader In African Canadian & Caribbean News, Views & Lifestyle
By Allan Bucka Jones
PRIDE Health Columnist
As we get older, there are many disorders, affecting different parts of our body that we need to be concerned with. However, we oftentimes take our ability to see for granted, and proper eye care is sometimes neglected. Let us look at three areas of eye disorder, glaucoma, cataract and the diabetic eye.
Three million Canadians are living with diabetes, and another six million are in a pre-diabetic stage, and will likely become diabetic without adequate intervention. By 2020 it is estimated that the number of Canadians with diabetes will grow to over four million.
We do not have exact figures for the number of black individuals with diabetes, however what we do know, is that the disease is at epidemic levels in the black community, and the consequences are dire.
Diabetes affects the entire body, from head to toe. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults between 20 and 74 years old. As soon as you are diagnosed with diabetes, an eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) should be a member of your health care team, and a visit to your eye doctor, at least once a year for regular exams, is important to avoid, or deal with eye problems that can make you blind.
Blurred vision is a common consequence of diabetes, however the problem could be temporary, and there is no need to get a new pair of glasses as soon as you notice the blurred vision. Blurry vision is caused by high blood sugar levels, and it may take as long as three months after your blood sugar is well controlled, for your vision to fully get back to normal.
Controlling your blood sugar level within the guidelines set by your doctor, is critical to preventing eye problems for someone with diabetes. If your blood sugar level is out of control, the blood vessels in the back of the eye will break and bleeding takes place inside the eye in the retina, and inside the jelly like substance in the eye, masking the area that picks up the light stimulus that enables you to see.
Ultimately, without proper control of blood sugar levels, you can go blind. This is why diabetes remains a leading cause of blindness, and why keeping your blood sugar level within the range recommended by your doctor and healthcare team is critical.
A cataract is a clouding or fogging of the normally clear lens of the eye. The lens is what allows us to see and focus on an image, just like a camera. Although anyone can get cataracts, it usually occurs around age 60.
People with diabetes get this eye problem at an earlier age than most, and the condition progresses more rapidly than in people without diabetes.
If you have cataract, there is a cloudy area in the lens of your eye that results in the inability to focus light, and your vision is impaired. Symptoms of this eye problem include blurred or glared vision, needing brighter lights to read or see well, and seeing halos around lights.
When you have a cataract, the natural lens of your eye becomes cloudy. The lens is like a dirty windshield on a car, which cannot be cleaned and need replacement. This replacement occurs during cataract surgery, which lasts for about 20 to 30 minutes. The cloudy lens is removed and replaced by a clear artificial lens about the size of a dime. You remain awake during cataract surgery.
There is no need to stay in hospital overnight after cataract surgery, except there are complications (which is rare), and you are released and sent home a few hours after surgery. Cataracts affect both eyes, but for surgery, only one eye is done at a time.
As you recognize, a cataract is relatively easy to deal with, however, if not removed, it can significantly impair your vision and even cause you to lose the ability to see.
Finally glaucoma: In a normal functioning eye, there is an ongoing flow of fluid that enters and leaves the eye. Glaucoma commonly occurs when fluid inside the eye does not drain properly, and can lead to excess pressure inside the eye. The increase in what is called, intraocular pressure, can damage nerves and blood vessels in the eye, causing deterioration in peripheral vision, and if not treated, blindness.
There are no symptoms associated with the most common types of glaucoma, until it is far advanced, and significant vision loss and irreversible damage has occurred. High pressure has been found to be just one component in determining glaucoma development. There are people with low pressures with glaucoma, and there are others with very high pressures but who do not have glaucoma.
People with diabetes are also more likely to get an uncommon type of glaucoma, called neovascular glaucoma. In this form of glaucoma new blood vessels grow on the iris, the colored part of the eye. These blood vessels block the normal flow of fluid out of the eye, raising the eye pressure. It is difficult to treat. One option is laser surgery to reduce the vessels.
Treatment of glaucoma can include eye drops, laser procedures, pills or surgery. You can prevent serious eye problems by getting an annual glaucoma screening from your eye doctor.
Risk factors for developing glaucoma include family history of glaucoma, eye injury, steroid medication, age over 60, elevated eye pressure, being black, diabetes, high blood pressure, an underactive thyroid gland, being nearsighted or farsighted.
It is recommended that black individuals screen for glaucoma at age 40. Remember, glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness and it is symptomless. The only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to carry out the necessary screening tests with an eye doctor.
As you get older, you should not neglect your eyes. Proper eye care is essential to protect your ability to see. Blindness is a strong possibility, especially if you have diabetes, and maintaining proper blood sugar control is the best way to avoid blindness.
The health of your eyes is in your hands. Take control.
Allan Bucka Jones is a Health Promoter and Broadcaster. You can contact Allan Bucka Jones at allan@jonesandjones.ca.
