South Africa is facing a diabetes epidemic, and the consequences are becoming increasingly worrying. More than 2.3 million working- age adults in the country are living with diabetes – that is roughly one in every 16 people. But while much of the conversation around diabetes focuses on blood sugar levels, medication and diet, there is another devastating complication that is often overlooked: blindness. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of preventable vision loss, with research indicating that one in three people living with diabetes already shows signs of diabetic retinopathy – a condition in which high blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina. What makes this particularly dangerous is that the damage can happen silently. You could be losing your eyesight without experiencing pain or even noticing changes in your vision. As we mark World Diabetes Day on the 14th of November, the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa is calling for routine eye
examinations to become part of diabetes care, warning that by the time someone notices their vision deteriorating, some of the damage may already be irreversible. So, how many South Africans are
unknowingly putting their eyesight at risk? Are we doing enough to detect and prevent diabetes-related blindness, and why is a simple retinal examination potentially the difference between maintaining your independence and losing your sight?

South Africa is facing a diabetes epidemic, and the consequences&nbsp;are becoming increasingly worrying. More than 2.3 million working-&nbsp;age adults in the country are living with diabetes &ndash; that is roughly&nbsp;one in every 16 people. But while much of the conversation around&nbsp;diabetes focuses on blood sugar levels, medication and diet, there is&nbsp;another devastating complication that is often overlooked: blindness.&nbsp;Diabetes is one of the leading causes of preventable vision loss,&nbsp;with research indicating that one in three people living with diabetes&nbsp;already shows signs of diabetic retinopathy &ndash; a condition in which high blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina. What&nbsp;makes this particularly dangerous is that the damage can happen&nbsp;silently. You could be losing your eyesight without experiencing pain&nbsp;or even noticing changes in your vision.&nbsp;As we mark World Diabetes Day on the 14th of November, the&nbsp;Ophthalmological Society of South Africa is calling for routine eye examinations to become part of diabetes care, warning that by the&nbsp;time someone notices their vision deteriorating, some of the damage&nbsp;may already be irreversible. So, how many South Africans are unknowingly putting their eyesight at risk? Are we doing enough to&nbsp;detect and prevent diabetes-related blindness, and why is a simple&nbsp;retinal examination potentially the difference between maintaining&nbsp;your independence and losing your sight?

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope