Diabetic Retinopathy

If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, then you know just how important it is that you manage your blood sugar. Not only will managing your insulin help you keep your diabetes under control, but it can also protect your vision from a disease called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is caused when by patients who have high blood pressure which results in damage to the retina. If you have diabetes but don’t know much about diabetic retinopathy, we are here as your resource. To help you learn a little bit more, however, let’s take a closer look at some answers to some frequently asked questions.

Can I Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy?

The number one thing that you can do to prevent diabetic retinopathy is to keep your blood sugar levels under control. The more stable your blood sugar is, the less likely you are to get this disease. Another thing that you can do is get yearly eye examinations with us at American Eye Associates. By getting regular screenings, we can help you to catch it early on and prevent it from getting worse.

How Is It Treated?

If you are diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, we can perform a treatment including laser to help seal leaking blood vessels and prevent new ones from growing, or we can perform another procedure called a vitrectomy.

What Are Symptoms?

Even though managing your blood sugar levels and coming into our office for regular exam are are critical in avoiding diabetic retinopathy, we also encourage patients to stay in tune with their vision and look for symptoms. Symptoms include:

• Blurred vision
• Vision fluctuations
• Difficulties with color perception
• Floaters or flashes of light
• Dark spots in the visual field

Remember that it’s always best to get treatement one in early stages to avoid permanent vision damage. If you have diabetes, contact us at our Chula Vista office (619) 378-3202 to learn more.