Diabetic Eye Management
Here at Treasure State Eyecare, we’re here to provide you with helpful information on why you need diabetic eye management and the advanced technology we use for this, so you know what to expect when you visit us.
Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. This is when your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it does make. As a result, diabetics suffer from higher than healthy blood sugar levels. Diabetics with uncontrolled blood sugar levels are susceptible to developing eye problems, some of which can cause blindness if not detected early enough, treated quickly, and monitored frequently. One example is diabetic retinopathy, which is causes progressive damage to the retina at the back of the eyes.
Causes of diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the retina’s small blood vessels become damaged and start to leak blood and fluid. This can affect the macula, which is responsible for your central vision, causing swelling. As the condition advances, the body will regenerate new retinal blood vessels to replace the damaged ones which can also leak blood into the vitreous fluid that fills the back of the eyes.
At this stage, diabetic retinopathy can even lead to glaucoma – another serious eye condition which extensively damages your optic nerve, or a retinal detachment; both of which can cause significant vision loss or blindness.
Common symptoms of diabetes related eye problems
In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, symptoms are mild or non-existent. However, as time goes on, you may experience:
- Cloudy or blurry vision
- Flashes of light
- Dark spots (floaters)
- Fluctuating vision
- Dark areas in your vision
- Vision loss
This is why it’s vital to get your eyes checked annually. For people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, having regular comprehensive dilated eye exams and advanced retinal scans can help accurately diagnose diabetic retinopathy before you experience noticeable symptoms and further damage is done.
Treating diabetic retinopathy
Your eye health is our top priority. All our doctors are residency trained in eye disease management and our practice has hi-tech, medical grade retinal imaging technology to help them monitor and manage diabetes eye conditions.
Our OCT and Optomap scans are especially useful in monitoring the effect your diabetes is having on your eye health and protecting your vision.
An OCT scan produces 3D cross-sectional, colored images of the different layers of your retina using light waves, so our eye doctors can pinpoint even the smallest change or sign of diabetic complications in your eyes.
The Optomap scan shows us a panoramic view of your retina, allowing us to examine areas that may show signs of potential diabetic eye problems and can’t be seen with traditional retinal imaging equipment.
Safe and non-invasive, these scans provide a highly detailed picture of the retina which allows us to detect any problems as early on as possible. These results can then be analyzed and explained by one of our eye doctors straight away and stored in your patient record for future comparison with later scans. We will then also be able to advise you on the next steps if any treatment is needed, for your peace of mind.
Contact us about diabetic eye management
Your eyes are precious and we’re here to help you look after them. Contact our team for advice if you are diabetic or want to book a comprehensive eye exam and our advanced retinal scans today.
