Overcome Diabetic Eye Disease in LaGrange, Oxmoor & Surrounds
Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and is the most common cause of blindness in people under 65 in the United States.
Diabetic eye issues can range from temporary blurring of vision to severe, permanent vision loss. It also increases the risk of developing cataracts and glaucoma.
What Are The Causes of Diabetic Retinopathy?
Some people may not realize they have had diabetes for years until they experience diabetes eye symptoms. Severe diabetic eye disease typically develops in individuals who have had diabetes for many years with poor blood sugar control.
Over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the eyes. This damage leads to poor circulation and subsequent tissue damage. The retina is primarily affected by diabetes, and changes in its structure can lead to blurry vision. These changes can cause temporary or permanent vision loss, depending on the severity.
In people with diabetes, blood sugar abnormalities cause changes in the walls of small blood vessels in the retina. These vessels may balloon and leak fluid (edema) and blood, leading to conditions such as background diabetic retinopathy. New blood vessels may form but are fragile and can cause bleeding inside the eye, leading to severe vision loss if untreated.
Symptoms of Diabetic Eye Problems
If you experience large, rapid shifts in blood sugar levels, your vision may become blurry. This blurriness can occur before diagnosing diabetes or after a change in treatment.
The sugar in the blood can cause the eye's lens to swell or shrink, leading to difficulty focusing. Vision typically stabilizes once blood sugar levels are under control.
Diabetes Care: Don't Skip Eye Exams
Even without symptoms, individuals with diabetes should have an annual eye examination. If you experience significant changes in vision, contact Gaddie Eye Centers immediately for evaluation and treatment.
Diabetic Eye Disease Treatments in Carrollton, Springhurst & Beyond
Habits Reduce Diabetic Eye Risks
The primary treatment for diabetic eye disease focuses on controlling the underlying diabetes. Better management of diabetes reduces the likelihood of complications, including eye problems.
Maintaining strict control of your blood sugar levels is crucial to reduce the risk of serious eye problems from diabetes. Managing high blood pressure and cholesterol levels can also help protect the blood vessels in your eyes.
Following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, monitoring blood sugar, and taking diabetic medications can dramatically decrease the chances of developing diabetic eye disease.
Surgery for Diabetic Retinopathy
Surgical treatment commonly involves laser therapy to address the retina's issues:
- Focal/Macular Photocoagulation: This laser treatment targets leaking blood vessels and areas of retinal swelling to treat background diabetic retinopathy
- Pan Retinal Photocoagulation (PRP): Used for proliferative diabetic retinopathy, this procedure treats the entire retina, excluding the macula, to reduce the need for harmful new blood vessel growth