Contact Heritage Eye Associates, serving Stockton and Modesto, if you are concerned by diabetic retinopathy. Regular checkups at our practice can help you prevent vision loss.
Heritage Eye Associates
445 West Poplar Street
Stockton, California
Ph. (866) 922-0405
Fax. (209) 465-2562
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Diabetics face an elevated risk of developing several different eye diseases, including cataracts and glaucoma, as they age. Another eye disease that is almost exclusively linked to diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. Because we strongly believe that everyone deserves to have clear vision, Heritage Eye Associates treats Stockton and Modesto-area patients with diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases as part of our focus on senior eye care and vision correction.
Anyone with type I or II diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy over time. The high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes eventually damage the blood vessels, and the extremely delicate vessels in the retinas of the eyes are among the most at-risk vessels in the body.
As diabetic retinopathy develops, these vessels rupture, leaking fluids into the eye and damaging the retina. The retina functions like a screen on which images are projected and then sent to the brain, so damage to it causes profound and often permanent vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy can also lead to glaucoma, cataracts, and even retinal detachment.
Diabetic retinopathy does not begin to show symptoms until the disease has already started to advance, making regular eye care a crucial part of the diabetic's medical routine. As the retina is damaged, patients usually experience floaters, double vision, and impaired close vision, eventually culminating in severe vision loss. Pregnant women with diabetes are at particular risk and should be evaluated during each trimester of pregnancy.
Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is the best ways to prevent diabetic retinopathy, but all diabetics are still at some risk and should be checked regularly. The best treatment available to our patients from Stockton, Modesto, and elsewhere who face diabetic retinopathy is known as laser photocoagulation. In this procedure, damaged blood vessels in the retina are sealed with a laser in order to prevent fluid leakage and vision loss. This procedure is very effective at treating existing leaks, but new ones can always occur and may require a repeat treatment.
Contact Heritage Eye Associates today if you are a diabetic living near Stockton or Modesto. Diabetic retinopathy and other diabetes-related eye conditions can cause serious problems without treatment, but our advanced facilities allow us to offer superior care and disease management to diabetic eye care patients. We can help to prevent diseases from occurring and control them once they do.