25% of diabetic patients suffer from eye

The chairman of Iran Diabetes Society, Asadollah Rajab, says 25% of patients with type 2 diabetes suffer from eye problems. Rajab told the Fars news agency that diabetes mellitus has certain early and late complications. Ketoacidosis or diabetic coma, recurrent infections and weight loss are considered early complications, he said. The physician added ketoacidosis or diabetic coma is a metabolic disorder caused by hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and brings about dizziness, weakness and lethargy, severe thirst, fatigue and dyspnea (difficult respiration). It may also lead to patient’s death, he noted. Rajab said during hyperglycemia body can not defend against infections, causing recurrent infections. He added diabetic patients burn proteins and fats instead of glucose, leading to weight loss. He called eye problems as one of the most common diabetic complications, saying diabetic patients who have a continuous uncontrolled high blood sugar should expect complications. And 90% of the patients who have uncontrolled high blood sugar for four years are affected by eye problems, causing internal eye bleeding and blindness, the physician explained. He went on to say that diabetic patients are 25 times more prone to blindness.