Protect Your Eyes with Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment
Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes that can threaten your sight. It affects around 1 in 4 people with diabetes, totaling almost 10 million individuals annually in the United States. Our comprehensive diabetic eye exams at Forsight Vision Care are high-tech, high-accuracy, high-precision assessments that thoroughly map the eye and look for any precursor symptoms or anomalies. We can catch any issue early and, if we notice anything, will customize a diabetic retinopathy treatment plan specific to you.
What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that occurs when the blood vessels in the back of the eye become more abundant, leak fluid, and bleed as a complication of diabetes. The longer a person has diabetes, the higher their chance of developing diabetic retinopathy.
At first, diabetic retinopathy may have no symptoms or cause only mild vision problems. As time goes by, it might lead to vision loss. Fortunately, a low-vision eye doctor can maximize your remaining vision in the event of vision loss by providing the most appropriate low-vision aids and devices for your condition and lifestyle needs.
What Are Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?
There are two stages of diabetic retinopathy: non-proliferative and proliferative retinopathy. In the early, non-proliferative stages, symptoms may be very minimal or non-existent.
In proliferative retinopathy, there may be noticeable vision changes that can show a significant deterioration of eye health, such as diabetic macular edema, the swelling of the macula, and the most common cause of vision loss in those with diabetic retinopathy. Some of these symptoms include:
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- Vision loss
- Empty or dark areas in your vision
- Fluctuating vision
- Spots or dark strings floating in your vision (floaters)
- Blurred vision
- Impaired color vision
Who Is at Risk of Developing Diabetic Retinopathy?
There are several risk factors that can heighten one's risk of developing diabetic retinopathy:
- Being of African-American, Hispanic, or Native American descent
- Duration of diabetes
- Poor control of blood sugar levels
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Being pregnant
- Tobacco smoking
It's important to note that not all diabetics develop diabetic retinopathy. In the event that you are diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, please don't lose hope. A low vision doctor can maximize your remaining functional vision through the use of low vision aids.