What is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition affecting the eye that can develop if you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Diabetic Retinopathy damages the blood vessels and tissue at the back of eyes. For treatment for diabetic retinopathy in Sheridan and diabetic retinopathy in Gillette, get in touch with our optical clinic, Wyovision. Our eye doctors can help.
What are the Two Types of Diabetic Retinopathy and Treatment?
Early diabetic retinopathy and advanced diabetic retinopathy are the two types of diabetic retinopathy people can develop. Both are serious and need immediate treatment.
Treatment depends on whether you have early or advanced diabetic retinopathy. If you have early diabetic retinopathy often no treatment will be needed but you must work with your regular doctor on a diet that controls your blood sugar more effectively. Diet is very important in controlling diabetic retinopathy. Good blood sugar control can slow down the progression of the disease.
When you have advanced retinopathy or macular edema often surgery will be needed. Focal laser treatment is new and slows the leakage of blood or fluids leaking in the eye. Surgery is done in the offices often in a single session. Another surgery is scatter laser treatment that shrinks the abnormal blood vessels. It is done in the office in two or more sessions. Vitretomy is a surgical procedure that must be done in a hospital. An incision is made in the eye to remove blood from the middle of eye and scar tissue. A general anesthesia is used.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?
It causes few symptoms in its early stages but eventually leads to vision loss and blindness that can affect both eyes. Signs of the disease are spots in front of your eyes, varying shapes, blurred vision, changes in vision, dark or empty spots in vision, and vision loss.
What causes Diabetic Retinopathy to Progress?
Too much sugar in your diet leads to blockage of the blood vessels that nourish your eyes. This cuts off the blood supply and prevents new blood vessels to grow leading to blood vessels not forming properly and leaking.
Diagnose and Treatment in Our Sheridan and Gillette Offices
When you come in for an appointment our eye doctors will give you a dilated eye exam. This test enlarges your pupil so that the eye doctor can see the inside of your eye. They will look for the growth of abnormal blood vessels, swelling, blood, fatty deposits, and growth of new blood vessels, scar tissue, retinal detachment, and damage to your optic nerve.
A fluorescein angiography is a test where your eyes are dilated and the doctor injects a dye into your arm so he can take pictures of your eye. This test will show blood vessels that are broken, closed or leaking. Another test our eye doctors may order is called an optical coherence tomography that shows the thickness of your retina and whether fluids might be leaking into surrounding tissue.
Contact Your Wyovision Associates in Sheridan or Gillette for an Appointment
We have an optometry clinic in Sheridan and an optometry clinic in Gillette for your convenience. Our optometrists in Sheridan and optometrists in Gillette want to help save your eyesight and control your diabetic retinopathy.
For our eye doctors in Sheridan, contact us at 307-673-5177 and for our eye doctors in Gillette, contact us at 307-682-2747 to make an appointment today.