Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that eventually affects as many as 25 percent of type 2 diabetics and over 77 percent of type 1 diabetics. People with diabetes for as little as five years can develop this disease. Dr. Amie Bethel, Dr. Steve Thomas and Dr. Tari Thomas, your optometrists at Pflugerville Vision Care in Pflugerville, TX, want you to know how to recognize the condition. Read below for more information on diabetic retinopathy, and speak with our optometrist if you have any of the symptoms listed below.
Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy
Advanced diabetic retinopathy develops leaky blood vessels. These leaky blood vessels bleed, and drops of blood float around in the vitreous humor, the stiff gel inside your eyeball.
Bleeding from the retina can cause floaters. Severe bleeding from the retinopathy can give you the sensation of watching a rainstorm inside your eye as black droplets rain down from bleeds in your retina. Debris can accumulate in the bottom of your eye, only to get stirred up when you eat, lift something heavy, or stoop over to pick something up. You can have the sensation of trying to see through a snow globe of debris.
Before diabetic retinopathy reaches this stage, you could have periods of blurred vision that seem to come and go. Or you could have annoying floaters. In addition, the sharpness of your image could be affected. In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, you might not be aware of any symptoms. However, it’s entirely possible to lose sight overnight.
What You Can Do about Diabetic Retinopathy
You need to do two things to avoid becoming one of the people blinded by diabetic retinopathy. Several people suffer from this condition, and it's essential to remember these steps to avoid becoming one of them.
- First, do everything you can to control your blood sugar levels.
- Second, ensure you get an eye exam from your optometrist at least twice a year.
Diabetic retinopathy does not cause blindness when treated in time. Although, you will get the necessary treatment faster if your eyes are examined on a routine schedule.
If You Have Diabetes, See Our Eye Doctor
Pflugerville Vision Care in Pflugerville, TX, offers insightful eye disease management. Call (512)251-4099 to schedule or request your appointment online today! We will assist you to the best of our ability.