Patients with diabetes and glaucoma

We are particularly concerned about patients with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma. These patients require continuous monitoring and follow-up observations. These are done by checking visual acuity, ocular pressure, the ophthalmological findings of the retina, and the optic nerve. Field of vision checks as well as computer-assisted precision measurement of the retina and the optic nerve head, so-called retinal thickness measurement or biomorphometry of the optic nerve, are also performed using HRT.

Diabetes

In diabetic retinopathy, the vessels in the retina become diseased as a result of the metabolic disorder. Although diabetic retinopathy develops very slowly, it is expected that two thirds of all diabetics will be affected by circulatory disorders of the retina after 10 to 15 years. If the patient suffers from diabetes in their youth, diabetic retinopathy develops more rapidly. However, for those patients who contract diabetes later in life, the condition is generally slower and more gradual. When diabetes mellitus is first diagnosed, it is imperative that patients have their eyes examined by an eye specialist. Thereafter, regular monitoring of the retina should be carried out in consultation with the eye specialist treating the patient.

Glaucoma

Green star is not a standard disease. Excessively high intraocular pressure in relation to blood circulation in the optic nerve leads to the loss of optic nerve fibres, which connect the eye to the brain. Intraocular pressure that is far above the norm also leads to pressure damage in a well-perfused optic nerve. If blood circulation at the optic nerve is poor, normal intraocular pressure can also damage the optic nerve. This leads to deterioration in the field of vision which is not initially noticeable. Only later, when green star is already well advanced, do patients notice advanced deterioration in their field of vision in terms of orientation problems. Untreated, the disease leads to total blindness and possibly the loss of the eye. Damage that occurs once to nerve fibres and associated deterioration in the field of vision is irreversible. Glaucoma screening is recommended to identify the onset of green star. It is imperative to carry out a thorough glaucoma examination in patients with risk factors such as hypertension, high nicotine abuse, high cholesterol, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, coagulation disorders and cardiac arrhythmia.