Physician-ophthalmologist explained why diabetes can develop glaucoma

Physician-ophthalmologist, head of the Department of Endocrine Ophthalmology of the Minsk City Clinical Endocrinology Center Ksenia Polovinkin on the air of the project “School of Diabetes” on the YouTube channel “SWATCH AND LIVE” told about the conditions under which diabetes can develop glaucoma.

Ksenia Polovinkina explained why glaucoma can develop in diabetes:

Diabetes mellitus is a serious pathology, which has many complications. When the disease affects the so-called target organs. And the eyes are one of them. With a prolonged increase in blood sugar, the retina is affected. This process is accompanied by changes in the vascular mesh and nerve fibers.

According to statistics, in patients with diabetes, the risk of developing glaucoma increases by 5 times!

- High concentrations of glucose, - the specialist explained, - negatively affect the state of the vascular wall. At the same time, the protective mechanism is activated and new vessels begin to develop. But their walls are not strong enough, can grow into the iris of the eye and disrupt the normal outflow of moisture. This leads to increased intraocular pressure and the development of the disease. Diabetes itself can give a complication in the form of secondary glaucoma.

At the same time, the symptoms of glaucoma in diabetes mellitus do not differ from other forms of the disease. Patients usually complain of various visual defects (the appearance of “flies” in front of the eyes, “lightning” and others), headaches and a general decrease in vision.

- Unfortunately, some turn to specialists even when the cells of the retina and optic nerve are seriously and in large quantities damaged.

tyshkevich@sb.by