Diabetic Eye DiseaseTreatment
Most people, including diabetics themselves, do not know that diabetes can seriously affect the eye. Thus a majority with diabetic eye disease go undetected and untreated.
Diabetes is actually one of the leading causes of blindness in adults, with Diabetic Retinopathy – the most common diabetic eye disease – affecting 3 in 10 diabetics in Singapore, 83% of which are undetected!
Diabetes causes changes to the blood vessels, causing them to either swell and leak fluid, or cause abnormal new blood vessels to grow on the retina, the light sensitive part of the eye.
Appointment
Let our eye specialist conduct a detailed diabetic eye assessment to determine if you have any signs of diabetic eye disease.
Apart from advice on managing your blood sugar level, our clinic will provide you with treatments to prevent or slow vision loss associated with diabetic retinopathy and other related eye diseases.
Vision recovery is possible with the right treatment at the right time. So if you’re diabetic, don’t wait to get your eyes checked!
Our Eye Clinic’s Experience & Expertise in Diabetic Eye Disease Treatment
Dr Leo Seo Wei is an ophthalmologist in Singapore with over 20 years of experience treating diabetic patients with associated eye problems. With a staggering 1 in 9 Singaporeans suffering from diabetes today, it is no wonder that thousands of cases of vision loss have come out of it.
At our clinic, we assess your diabetes control and the severity of your eye disease in detail. Apart from advising you to keep your blood sugar levels down, we are also well-equipped with modern technology and established medicines to treat your diabetic eye condition effectively.
Our Clinic Offers Targeted Treatments for Diabetic Eye Diseases
The majority of diabetic eye disease is Diabetic Retinopathy, with others being Cataracts and Glaucoma (both of which can also affect non-diabetics). Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy:
Used to treat the peripheral retina to prevent or stop the growth of the abnormal new blood vessels
Used to treat the macular oedema to reduce swelling
Used only in severe cases of DR, it is used to remove blood that has leaked into the eye. This is usually caused by massive bleeding into the eye as a result of abnormal blood vessels on the retina
Used to treat loss of central vision caused by diabetic macular oedema, this can reduce macular swelling and improve vision
- Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)
- It is the top cause of blindness among adults in Singapore, causing an estimated 600 to be totally blind, over 8,000 to be blind in one eye, and another 17,500 to be visually impaired as a result.
- Unfortunately, there remains a worryingly high rate of undiagnosed DR
To prevent diabetes from damaging the blood vessels in the eye, watch out for these risk factors:
- Prolonged Diabetes
- Poor Diabetes Control
- High Blood Pressure
- Previous Stroke & Heart Disease
- Cataracts refer to the clouding of the eye’s natural lens and is commonly associated with ageing
- Diabetics tend to develop cataracts at an earlier age because of a biochemical reaction between a particular enzyme and glucose
- Treatment involves surgically removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a clear artificial lens, though in the case of diabetics this will pose its own unique set of challenges
- Glaucoma is an eye condition that result in optic nerve damage and vision loss, usually caused by abnormally high eye pressure
- Diabetics are three times more likely to develop glaucoma!
- Treatment includes lowering the eye pressure with special eye drops, laser, medicines and surgery