Diabetic Eye Care Specialist

What is diabetic eye disease?

Diabetes is a systemic disease that has a profound impact on your nervous system, leading to peripheral neuropathy, which includes your eyes. Diabetic eye disease is a catchall term that includes several conditions, such as:

Diabetic retinopathy

This condition is the leading cause of vision loss among diabetics. With diabetic retinopathy, the blood vessels in your retina are damaged thanks to high blood sugar levels. The damage includes hemorrhaging and subsequent scarring, which leads to vision impairment. This condition can also lead to diabetic macular edema, which is a swelling the macula in your retina.

Cataracts

While cataracts can affect anyone, diabetics are up to five times more likely to develop them, and they’re commonly characterized by clouding in the lens.

Glaucoma

Here again, this condition is not the sole domain of diabetics, but since glaucoma involves your optic nerve, people with diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma as part of peripheral neuropathy.

What are the symptoms of diabetic eye disease?

For the purposes of this discussion, the following are the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy, which is far and away the biggest problem when it comes to diabetic eye health. The most common symptoms of diabetic retinopathy are:

• Floaters in your vision (black spots)
• Blurred vision
• Poor night vision
• Dark or blank areas in your field of vision

If you’re experiencing any of the above, it’s important that you seek the help your optometrist sooner rather than later, as this condition is progressive.

What is involved in diabetic eye care?

The most important service that your optometrist can provide to people with diabetes is vigilant monitoring of your eyes. To do this, you should schedule regular appointments with Antelope Valley Optometric Center so they can check for the early development of diabetic eye disease long before it causes irreversible damage.

When you go in, an optometrist dilates your pupil to get a clear look at your retina and optic nerve to check for any telltale signs of disease. Antelope Valley Optometric Center also performs regular vision tests, as well as eye pressure tests.

If you have diabetes, regular, preventive care can make all the difference in the future health of your eyes. If the optometrists are able to catch the onset of diabetic eye diseases, they can promptly treat them, or send you to a specialist.

For expert diabetic eye care, call Antelope Valley Optometric Center or use the convenient online scheduler to book an appointment.