October, 2019 | The Health Xtra
Xtra
03
World Sight Day 2019
for the country.The eye care profession-
als need to share their expertise and
strengthen eye care in general.”
Blindness by diabetes
Malaysia carries the weight of having
the highest obesity rate in South East
Asia, and little did we know, diabetes
can lead to diabetic retinopathy; a
condition most common to cause
vision loss. Other known eye diseases
that plagues the nation would be
cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular
degeneration and myopia in children.
Despite these alarming facts, an eye
screening or an eye health checkup are
two of the least prioritised appoint-
ments among Malaysians. We often
forget that we are blessed by having
our sight, yet our eye care is often
neglected and been placed at the back
of our minds.
Enter World Sight Day
Established by the World Health
Organisation, The World Sight Day
is celebrated as an advocacy event to
raise awareness about blindness and
vision impairment in a coordinated and
concerted action. World Sight Day 2019
(WSD2019) will be focusing on eye loss
prevention.
Prevention, prevention,
prevention
The Ministry of Health sets up WSD2109
this year to focus on activities to pro-
mote the awareness of blindness and its
preventative steps. The public event will
include free eye screening for consulta-
tion, colour blindness test and other
activities. — The Health Xtra
Kay Mathy says the gathering of eye
professionals will bring about change in
Malaysia's eye health sector.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Superior Rectus
Muscle
Aneurysm
Abnormal Blood
Vessels
Sclera
Lens
Hemorrhages
Retina
"Cotton Wool"
Spots
Fovea
Optic Disc
Pupil
Cornea
Optic nerve
Ciliary body
Central Retinal
Vein and Artery
Superior Rectus
Muscle
Healthy Eye
Dr Norshamsiah feels that the gathering of optometrists and ophthalmologists can
improve the quality of eye care services in Malaysia.
of the decade
elevate and standardise the quality of eye
care services across Malaysia – making treat-
ment and services more accessible.
Dr Ayesha Mohd Zain is the Chairman for
the seminar.
Besides Dr Ayesha and Dr Bastion, Dr
Norshamsiah Md Din, Head of the Oph-
thalmologist Department of HCTM UKM
also plays a part. “This year, we thought we’d
focus more on the eye specialists. The idea
is to bring together all eye specialists from
different service sectors in Malaysia, be it
optometrists or ophthalmologists so both
are placed in one spot and we discuss how
best to provide the best eye care services for
the public. That is our goal.
“This will keep them updated, make them
aware of the future things in the pipeline –
like new technologies and discoveries when
it comes to treatment and new drugs that
are developed. Also, how to tackle common
diseases and we hope it will educate eye care
specialists better so we can provide eye care
services that are up-to-date and optimal,”
says Dr Norshamsiah.
Four aspects of eye care
The lectures series will focus on four aspects
-- Eyecare for Education, Paediatric Eyecare,
Eye Diseases Management and Future
Invention in Eyecare. “The inclusion of the
lecture series will be very helpful for the
optometrists and other eye care profes-
sionals. This is the best platform for the
professionals to refresh their memories in
certain eye diseases and share their latest
research findings with each other, expanding
our knowledge in the subject,” Dr Bastion
says to The Health.
Dr Ayesha also has this to say: “The
one-day conference will give the ophthalmol-
ogists and optometrists a chance to gather
and exchange knowledge about the serious
eye conditions in Malaysia. As profession-
als, we need to come together and take full
advantage of this platform that allows us to
educate ourselves in our field of expertise
to provide better service and awareness for
the public.”
Other than the Ophthalmology Depart-
ment of HTCM UKM, the event will see the
coming together of several associations com-
mitted to elevate eye health in Malaysia. They
include the Association of Malaysian Optom-
etrist (AMO), the College of Opthalmologists
of the Academy of Medicine Malaysia, the
Malaysian Optical Council (MOC) under the
Ministry of Health, the Malaysian Society of
Opthalmology (MSO), and of course, Revon
Media. – The Health Xtra
Diabetic Eye
What is diabetic
retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes
complication that affects eyes. It iss caused
by damage to the blood vessels of the light-
sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).
At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause
no symptoms or only mild vision problems.
Eventually, it can cause blindness.
The condition can develop in anyone who
has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer
you have diabetes and the less controlled
your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to
develop this eye complication.
Symptoms
You might not have symptoms in the early
stages of diabetic retinopathy. As the
condition progresses, diabetic retinopathy
symptoms may include:
• Spots or dark strings floating in your vision
(floaters)
• Blurred vision
• Fluctuating vision
• Impaired colour vision
• Dark or empty areas in your vision
• Vision loss
• Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both
eyes.
When to see a doctor
Careful management of your diabetes is the
best way to prevent vision loss. If you have
diabetes, see your eye doctor for a yearly
eye exam with dilation — even if your vision
seems fine. Pregnancy may worsen diabetic
retinopathy, so if you’re pregnant, your eye
doctor may recommend additional eye exams
throughout your pregnancy.
Contact your eye doctor right away if your
vision changes suddenly or becomes blurry,
spotty or hazy.