Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that may damage the retina of the eye, which is the tissue that senses light located at the back of your eye. As a result, you might experience blurry vision and difficulty seeing in the dark. At Wellington Eye Care in Wellington, CO, we provide comprehensive eye exams to learn more about your condition and treatment to slow down the progression of the diseases.
What is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is reasonably common among diabetics, with about a third of those who are older than 40 exhibiting diabetic retinopathy symptoms. If undiagnosed or mismanaged, diabetes will elevate your blood sugar, which has the potential to damage the blood vessels in the retina. Initially, you may notice blurry vision, however, as it progresses, diabetic retinopathy can lead to vision loss. Due to this, it is important to have routine eye exams, including diabetic eye exams, which can identify the diseases early and prevent vision loss.
Types of Diabetic Retinopathy
These are two main types of diabetic retinopathy. These types include the following:
• Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy — In the early stages of NPDR, the symptoms of the disease may be unnoticeable, however, during this stage, the blood vessels of the retina weaken.
• Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy — As the disease progresses, the more advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy becomes Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy, also known as PDR. At this stage, the existing damaged blood vessels create new abnormal blood vessels, which makes the scar tissue weaker and causes vision issues.
Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy
If you have diabetic retinopathy, you may experience a variety of symptoms. Some of these symptoms include:
• Blurry vision that may include dark strings or spots within your field of vision
• Difficulty distinguishing colors or driving at night
• Blind spots or dark spots in your field of vision
Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy
When you visit us, our eye doctor will perform an eye exam and determine the necessary treatment for you specific needs. Some treatments we may recommend include:
• Maintaining control of blood sugar levels
• Laser beams to help seal leaking blood vessels
• Intravitreal Injections to reduce leakage and abnormal cell growth.
• In severe cases, surgery may be required
Contact us for an Appointment Today
If you are experiencing symptoms of diabetic retinopathy, our team at Wellington Eye Care in Wellington, CO, can help. To learn more about our treatments or to schedule your appointment, contact us at (970) 568-7161 today. When you need an optometrist near me, we are happy to assist you!