By Nicholas Dekera
No fewer than 578 million people worldwide might become diabetic by the year 2023 if necessary measures are not taken to control the rising rate of diabetic patients.
Chief Medical Director National Eye Centre represented by Dr. Murtala Umar, a senior Consultant and Eye expert from the National Eye centre stated this while making a presentation on the topic;.”Diabetes and the Eye” during a media health day organized by the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CAMPAN) in Kaduna.
Dr. Umar pointed out that a diabetic patient could become blind eventually if not treated at early stages of discovery, adding that although the body cannot function effectively without sugar but warns that poorly controlled sugar level could affect several organs of the body and when it affects the eye could result into blindness.
He disclosed that the current statistics which varies from the to time has it that 463 adults are presently diabetic, adding that, ” it has the tendencies of increasing to 578 million globally by 2030 if unchecked.
“Consistent high sugar level damages blood vessels and other organs, eg the kidney, heart, eye, liver, and brain but the eye shows quick damage which is a window to the brain.
“Retina can be affected by diabetes which could lead to blindness. Poorly controlled diabetes lead to cataract and other eye challenges. Watery eyes and discharges could be as a result of diabetes complications”.
Dr. Umar further disclosed that million of deaths are directly attributed to diabetes each year, adding that both the number of cases and the prevalence of diabetes have been steadily increasing over the past few decades.
As part of measures to the increasing rate of diabetes amongst people, he advocate regular creation of awareness, sensitization on effective working of the pancreas, consumption of more of vegetables, chicken and fish and avoidance of excessive consumption of sugar or food with too much of sugar content
