Preserve Your Vision With Comprehensive Eye Care -  Centerville

Diabetic Retinopathy in Centerville

Preserve Your Vision With Comprehensive Eye Care - Centerville

(937) 433-0950

Have diabetes?

Experiencing changes in vision, such as blurriness and eye floaters?

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of vision loss around the world. Of an estimated 285 million people with diabetes mellitus worldwide, approximately one-third have signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Fortunately, there are several steps people with diabetes can take to prevent or minimize vision loss.

Blood sugar level check


What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

noraml eye and an eye with  diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease caused by high blood sugar levels that damage the small blood vessels clustered within your retina. This leads to swelling or fluid leakage and can result in vision loss and even blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy also raises the risk of retinal detachment and/or glaucoma.

Because the early stages of diabetic retinopathy show no symptoms, many don't realize they have it until the disease has progressed.

If you have diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. To reduce your risk and protect your vision, schedule an eye exam with Comprehensive Eye Care - Centerville today.


What Are the Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?

diabetic-retinopothy-oct-scan

As mentioned above, the early phase of diabetic retinopathy typically shows no symptoms. This is why it's important to have routine eye exams (all the more so if you have diabetes), as your eye doctor can detect diabetic retinopathy in its earlier stages before symptoms become apparent.

Symptoms of proliferative diabetic retinopathy include:
  • Blurred vision
  • Floaters
  • Double vision
  • Near vision problems
  • Seeing dark spots (scotomas)
  • Difficulty seeing at night

What are the Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Non-Proliferative Retinopathy (early stage):
This occurs when small bulges–or microaneurysms–form in blood vessels and can leak fluid into the retina.

Proliferative Retinopathy (later phase):
This refers to abnormal vessel growth and leakage in the retina. This triggers a variety of vision problems such as blurriness, reduced field of vision, and even blindness.

If you have diabetes, Comprehensive Eye Care - Centerville in Centerville offers diagnostic tests and treatment options to help preserve your vision. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the treatment outcome.

Diabetic-Retinopathy-Bllod-sugar-level-checker


How Optometrists Diagnose Diabetic Retinopathy

  • Medical history

    Your optometrist will ask about your medical history, including diabetes, as well as your family history of eye conditions.

  • Dilated pupil exam

    Your optometrist will apply eye drops to dilate the pupils so they can see inside the eye and detect any issues.

  • Fluorescein angiography

    This eye test uses a special dye and camera to look at blood flow in the retina and choroid.

  • Optical coherence tomography

    This imaging method shows a cross-section of the retina and can indicate whether vessels are leaking fluid into the retina.


How to Treat Diabetic Retinopathy

senior man with diabetic retinopathy

Treatment begins with managing blood sugar levels and diabetes. This means eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and taking whatever diabetes medication has been prescribed.

Other treatments will depend on the stage or severity of the disease. If caught early, only blood sugar management may be necessary.

However, if you're in a more advanced stage of the diseases, treatment options may include:
  • Eye medications. Steroid and Anti-VEGF treatments can stop inflammation and prevent the formation of new blood vessels.
  • Laser surgery. Reduces the proliferation of abnormal blood vessels and swelling in the retina.
  • Vitrectomy. If you have proliferative diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye surgery called vitrectomy. This procedure removes scar tissue, blood or fluid, and some of the vitreous gel so light rays can better focus on the retina.

Diabetic Retinopathy FAQs

What are the major risk factors for diabetic retinopathy?

As the name suggests, diabetes is the main risk factor for developing diabetic retinopathy. Be mindful of your family history of type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, get an annual eye exam to detect potential problems early.

Other conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol are also risk factors. Moreover, those of African or Hispanic descent have a higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Can diabetic retinopathy be prevented?

There are a number of ways to preserve your vision and reduce the risk of vision and eye damage due to diabetic retinopathy.

  • Visit your eye doctor for annual eye exams.
  • Control your blood sugar levels.
  • Maintain healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Quit smoking.

The best thing you can do right now is to schedule your eye exam with Comprehensive Eye Care - Centerville in Centerville to ensure that everything is in check.

Does diabetic retinopathy cause blindness?

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness among work-aged adults. It affects one in three people with diabetes and often goes unnoticed at first. Diagnosing and treating the condition early on can prevent severe vision loss.

Patient Reviews
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77 Reviews
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- Aug. 16, 2024
Very polite and knowledgeable. Highly recommend
- Jun. 30, 2024
Great eye doctor! Great service!
- Jun. 19, 2024
Friendly and patient....
- Jun. 10, 2024
Love this lil place
- Apr. 20, 2024
Fantastic!
- Apr. 13, 2024
Great place for eye care. I've been coming here for about 3 years.
- Mar. 07, 2024
Service above and beyond the norm
- Mar. 03, 2024
Everyone was happy and the staff was just excited to help me pick my new glasses as I was!
- Mar. 01, 2024
First appointment after Dr O’Neill determined I had an eye stroke and rushed to the emergency room... . We discussed my eye stroke. She is friendly and an excellent optometrist.
- Feb. 23, 2024
Super eye exam and very friendly staff.
- Feb. 19, 2024
Dr. ONeill is fantastic!!!! Highly recommend!
- Jan. 31, 2024
Dr. Downer is very patient oriented and highly skilled. Have been a patient for 20+ years. Utmost... trust in his judgment. I am a challenging patient due to a myriad of issues regarding my vision. Absolutely recommend him for optometry services.
- Jan. 26, 2024
Doctor downer has been wonderful with all of my prescriptions. The staff is beyond helpful and kind....
- Dec. 02, 2023
Great experience! First time patient, staff was extremely friendly and helpful and Dr O’Neil was ... extremely thorough, friendly and offered several options to improve my contact wear!
- Nov. 28, 2023
All service performed professionally and with pleasant manner.
- Oct. 26, 2023
IT WAS A VERY PLEASANT VISIT EVERYONE WAS SO NICE AND I FELT VERY HAPPY WITH EVERYTHING
- Aug. 26, 2023
An amazing experience! Extremely friendly and pleasantly knowledgeable staff. I will definitely retu... rn to purchase my next pair of glasses.
- Aug. 23, 2023
Dr ONeill and the entire staff were amazing!!!
- Jul. 30, 2023
Professional, friendly staff. There is a personal feel to my appts.
- May. 15, 2023
Excellent eye care in a very friendly and caring manner.

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Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis & Treatment in Centerville

Our optometry practice in Centerville

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Hours
  • Monday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday Closed
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
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  • Anthem
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blood sugaer level testing kit

Have diabetes?

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.

(937) 433-0950