Diabetic retinopathy is a degenerative eye condition resulting from diabetes mellitus. In developed countries like the United States, it is the leading cause of blindness, affecting as many as 80% of people age 20 or older who suffer from type 1 or 2 diabetes. Our eye doctors at Elite Vision Eyecare in Maywood, NJ, can diagnose and treat this condition.
Diabetic Retinopathy Eye Care
While there is no cure for this condition, our optometrist can provide treatment that can slow progression and preserve your vision.
Diagnosis
Diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed through a thorough and comprehensive eye exam. During the examination, eye drops will be added into your eyes. This will dilate the pupils, which will allow our optometrist to get a clearer view into the interior of your eyes. These drops will cause your vision to become blurry, but the effect is only temporary and will wear off after a few hours. After dilation, our eye doctor will inject a dye into your arm which makes it easier to photograph the structures of your inner eye. These images will help to determine which blood vessels are closed or damaged. After, cross-section images will be taken to help our optometrist explorer further inside your eye and decide which treatment would be best for you. These methods are also useful in monitoring how effective treatment is for your condition.
Treatment
Treating the condition early is essential in helping to preserve your vision. If the condition is diagnosed early, treatment may not be necessary right away. Our optometrist will monitor the condition, offer you corrective vision care, and delay advanced treatment until it may be needed.
Treatment for Advanced Stages
In the advanced stages, our optometrist may inject medication into your eyes. A vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor is an effective option that can slow down or prevent the progression of retinopathy. Photo-coagulation is another option also known as focal laser treatment. This may stop or slow fluid from leaking into your eyes. Lasers are used to close the leaking blood vessels to prevent further damage. A scatter laser treatment may be used to shrink problematic blood vessels and broader portions of the tissue as it passes through. In addition, a vitrectomy may be used to remove blood and fluid from the center of the eye and scar tissue if needed. This procedure is performed in a hospital or surgery center using general or local anesthetic.
Contact us for Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or have risk factors for diabetes, we recommended that you visit us at Elite Vision Eyecare in Maywood, NJ, for eye exam that can determine if are at risk for diabetic retinopathy. After a diagnosis, our team can provide the necessary treatment that can help with management and preserve your vision. Contact us at (201) 845-4700 to schedule your appointment today!