Abstract

OPHTHALMOLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS OF MADHUMEHA (DIABETES MELLITUS) AND THEIR MANAGEMENT

Shalini Singh* and A. K. Pandey

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of metabolic disorders, leading to high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. As of 2016 the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 422 million people have diabetes mellitus in this universe. It occurs throughout the world but is more common in more developing countries. The increase in rate in developing countries follow the trend of urbanisation and life style changes, including increasingly sedentary life styles, less physically demanding work and the global nutrition transition marked by increase intake of foods that are high energy dense but nutrient poor. Diabetes mellitus comes with both micro vascular and macro vascular complications in long run. One of such micro vascular complications get manifest in eyes causing diabetic retinopathy, diabetic maculopathy, diabetic cataract. It is estimated that diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of vision loss globally of estimated 285 million people with diabetes mellitus worldwide, approximately 1/3 rd have signs of diabetic retinopathy and of these 1/3 rd have vision threatening conditions including diabetic maculopathy and diabetic cataract. Statistics shows that there is a high demand for rediscovering alternative intervention methods to control the situations.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Diabetic retinopathy, Diabetic cataract and Diabetic maculopathy.