Consultant Eye Surgeon’s Association President Dr. Kapila Banduthilake told yesterday (13) that the National Eye Hospital spends Rs.30 Mn per month to treat people suffering from eye diseases due to diabetes, including surgery.
He said that 25 percent of diabetic patients in Sri Lanka are suffering from diabetic retinopathy and a diabetic patient can be diagnosed early and treated by through an annual eye examination by a qualified ophthalmologist.
He said that due to the damage done to the blood vessels by diabetes, the back layer of the eye that transforms light into images known as the retina is affected and this effect is known as diabetic retinopathy.
Suffering from diabetes for a long time, poor control of diabetes, high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, kidney disease and smoking can make people prone to diabetic retinopathy.
Ophthalmologists have said that people over the age of 40 should have an eye examination from a qualified doctor at least once a year and people over the age of 60 must be tested for glaucoma.
Sandhya Karunaratne