Diabetic Warning for Techies !

Express News Service First Published : 30 Nov 2008 12:36:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 30 Nov 2008 10:27:44 AM IST
CHENNAI: The sedentary lifestyle of diabetic techies who stare at computers for hours at a stretch might face a risk, as that will have a toll on their health, cautioned doctors of the Voluntary Health Services hospital at the celebration of the World Diabetes day held here on Saturday.
Twentyseven-year-old Mahesh, an IT professional, has frequent hunger pangs and was visiting the rest room very frequently. He is obese, hardly does any exercise and struggles hard to meet the work-related deadlines at office. A visit to the doctor, and he was confirmed diabetic.
Doctors say that the cure lies in early detection and diagnosis. With advanced technology, it is not a problem. IT professionals who are detected diabetic should have frequent eye check ups and consult the doctor; they should take preventive medical care, says Dr Parthasarthy of the Voluntary Health Hospital.
But not all is lost for those with diabetics. They can lead a normal, productive life if they adopt a disciplined healthy lifestyle and take preventive medical care, doctors advise.
An IT professional added that the techies hardly get any sleep during night, their food habits are unhealthy and they are having problems driving their vehicles due to work-related stress. Staring at the computer at a stretch affects our eyes, he added.
Dr. Parthasarthy noted that IT professionals work so hard that they even forget to blink, adding that for the tear flow circulation, one should blink at least 14 times a day. Not doing that results in a dry eye, he said. He cautioned about retinopathy which happens when the blood vessels in the retina are damaged and they can leak fluid or bleed. This causes the retina to swell and form deposits called exudates. This is an early form of diabetic retinopathy and may not lead to any decrease in vision, but it can lead to other more serious forms of retinopathy that affect the vision.
The longer the person has diabetes, the greater are his/her chances to develop diabetic retinopathy. Almost 80 per cent of people, who have diabetes for 15 years or more, have some damage to the blood vessels in their retina.