While many know diabetes causes severe health issues, did you know diabetes also can affect your eyes and vision? Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that occurs due to high blood sugar levels damaging the blood vessels in the retina. This condition can lead to significant vision loss and even blindness if left untreated. Today’s Vision 380 in Frisco, TX, can examine your eyes and provide prompt management to protect your vision. We are here to tell you about diabetic retinopathy and how our eye doctor can help manage it.
Understanding Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that affects the blood vessels in the retina, causing vision loss and blindness in people who have diabetes. High blood sugar damages your blood vessels in the retina, leading to swelling and leaking that causes blurry vision.
Diabetic retinopathy often causes little to no noticeable symptoms in the early stages due to the slow progression of the condition. As the disease progresses, people can experience blurry vision, floaters in their field of vision, and dark or empty areas in their vision. Early detection and intervention by your optometrist near you are crucial for preventing significant vision loss or blindness.
Diagnosis and Management
Your eye doctor will do a dilated eye exam to catch diabetic retinopathy in your eyes. Dilated eye exams increase the size of your pupils to check your optic nerve and retina. Doing this allows your eye doctor to detect bleeding caused by diabetic retinopathy.
Once your eye doctor diagnoses diabetic retinopathy, they can recommend several management options to protect your eyesight. Early diabetic retinopathy may only require monitoring through regular eye exams. Managing your diabetes through diet, exercise, and medication also helps reduce your risk of developing advanced diabetic retinopathy.
Specific medications and laser therapy may be necessary for treating advanced diabetic retinopathy. Anti-VEGF injections in the eyes can control abnormal blood vessel growth, while laser therapy seals leaking blood vessels. You may require surgery in severe cases of diabetic retinopathy. Talk with your eye doctor to determine which treatment best suits your visual needs.
Get Effective Diabetic Retinopathy Management at Today’s Vision 380
Diabetic retinopathy can lead to significant vision loss or blindness if left untreated, so contact Today’s Vision 380 in Frisco, TX, to protect your eye and vision health with effective eye care. Call us and schedule an appointment today at (972) 954-5488 to keep your eyes healthy and your vision strong.
