Durban — During World Retina Week, Retina South Africa is creating awareness of the early warning signs of pre-diabetes and vision loss.
World Retina Week is held from the September 19 to 25, 2022.
Thousands of South Africans are at risk for vision loss and serious illness and they do not even know it.
So, what can we do to avert a looming diabetes epidemic?
The good news is that all it takes is a piece of string.
Retina South Africa spokesperson Karen Denton said one of the earliest symptoms of pre-diabetes is an expanding waistline. So, take a piece of string and measure your waist where you bend naturally in the middle. Then measure your hips where your leg joins your torso. This is where your leg bends when you sit down.
Denton advised that if your waist measurement is smaller than your hip measurement this is a good sign, and you are probably safe. However, if you have an expanding waistline and your waist is larger than your hips this could be an early warning sign that gives you time to take action and prevent the development of diabetes.
“It has been shown that more than 20% of people who are diagnosed with diabetes for the first time already have some damage to the retina that threatens their vision,” Denton said.
Retina South Africa advised that you can stop this happening in your life by taking steps today. Try to include food in your diet from every colour of the rainbow every day, especially green leafy vegetables. Try to move a little more so that you get those muscles working, your blood pumping, and your insulin working adequately.
If you smoke, stop! And no more than one light beer, or one glass of wine, or one tot of spirits daily.
Denton said these steps towards health can help to delay or even avert diabetes completely. And, of course, by preventing pre-diabetes or diabetes, you can help you to avoid heart attacks, strokes, amputations, kidney failure, and of course blindness.
Please see your eye care professional every year to check for early changes and get your blood sugar checked regularly.
World Retina Week is commemorated to raise awareness of Retinitis Pigmentosa, Macular Degeneration and Usher Syndrome as the most common retinal degenerative diseases, which affect hundreds of thousands of South Africans and millions worldwide.
Retinal degeneration affects people from all racial and socio-economic groups. The total population of South Africa is 44.5 million (2001 census) and the population under 35 is 30.9 million. 2.7% of these have a disability and visual disability is the largest group.
Daily News