Dr Monday Ogeili, an optometrist at Estate Clinic, Benin, has advised elderly persons to go for regular eye checks to prevent Diabetic retinopathy.
Ogeili gave the advice in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Benin.
He described Diabetic retinopathy as a diabetes complication that affects eyes caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).
According to the medical expert, the condition can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
“The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop this eye complication.
“At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. Eventually, it can cause blindness.
“Pregnancy may worsen diabetic retinopathy, so if you are pregnant, your eye doctor may recommend additional eye exams throughout your pregnancy.
“Contact your eye doctor right away if your vision changes suddenly or becomes blurry, spotty or hazy.
“Careful management of diabetes is the best way to prevent vision loss. If you have diabetes, see your eye doctor for a regular eye exam with dilation, even if your vision seems fine.’’
He said that most people with the condition who followed their treatment plan and had regular eye exams were able to keep their vision.
Ogeili attributed the cause of diabetic retinopathy to too much sugar in the blood which could lead to the blockage of the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina, cutting off its blood supply.
“As a result, the eye attempts to grow new blood vessels but these new blood vessels do not develop properly and can leak easily,’’ he said.