About Diabetic Eye Disease
Diabetes affects the body’s circulation, impairing the tiny blood vessels and capillaries that bring blood and oxygen to certain parts of the body. Unfortunately, that means that diabetes carries a higher risk for certain eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Without proper management and treatment, diabetic eye disease can lead to serious vision problems and sometimes blindness.
Our expert eye doctors and ophthalmologists strive to provide a gold standard in eye care, working individually with patients throughout the Ogden, UT area to diagnose and treat eye conditions and safeguard healthy vision. We’re proud to treat a wide range of eye conditions at our office, including all forms of diabetes-related eye disease.
What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes-related eye condition that does damage to blood vessels in the retina. It may form in people with either Type I or Type II diabetes and normally affects both eyes. Diabetic retinopathy is a progressive condition with four stages:
Diagnosing Diabetic Retinopathy
Unfortunately, diabetic retinopathy often causes no symptoms in its early stages. As the blood vessels start to leak and cause retinal swelling, vision may blur or distort, and objects may start to look smaller, larger, blurred, or distorted as the condition progresses.
Usually, diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed during routine eye exams by your eye doctor. Maintaining regular eye exams is important as you age, and if you have diabetes, it’s even more critical. As your Ogden ophthalmologists, we’ll perform regular eye checks and screenings to track and eye conditions and recommend appropriate treatment as early as possible.
Treating Diabetic Retinopathy
Unfortunately, there is no cure for diabetic retinopathy, as there is no cure for diabetes. The best way to fight diabetic retinopathy is by managing your diabetes to prevent the problem from progressing. Carefully maintaining healthy levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol is the best way to keep diabetic retinopathy in check and prevent vision problems. However, if the disease progresses to a severe stage, we may be able to offer laser treatments to help shrink swollen blood vessels.
Schedule a Consultation with Your Local Eye Doctor
You deserve healthy, crystal-clear vision over the full course of your lifetime – and at Country Hills Eye Center, our mission is to help you maintain it. Contact us today to learn more about diabetic eye care or our other services, or feel free to call us directly for a consultation. We can’t wait to hear from you, and we look forward to helping you protect your vision!
