Preserve Your Vision With Tanglewood Family Eyecare

Diabetic Retinopathy in Chagrin Falls

Preserve Your Vision With Tanglewood Family Eyecare

(440) 543-5186

Have diabetes?

Experiencing changes in vision, such as blurriness and eye floaters?

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of vision loss around the world. Of an estimated 285 million people with diabetes mellitus worldwide, approximately one-third have signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Fortunately, there are several steps people with diabetes can take to prevent or minimize vision loss.

Blood sugar level check


What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

noraml eye and an eye with  diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease caused by high blood sugar levels that damage the small blood vessels clustered within your retina. This leads to swelling or fluid leakage and can result in vision loss and even blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy also raises the risk of retinal detachment and/or glaucoma.

Because the early stages of diabetic retinopathy show no symptoms, many don't realize they have it until the disease has progressed.

If you have diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. To reduce your risk and protect your vision, schedule an eye exam with Tanglewood Family Eyecare today.


What Are the Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?

diabetic-retinopothy-oct-scan

As mentioned above, the early phase of diabetic retinopathy typically shows no symptoms. This is why it's important to have routine eye exams (all the more so if you have diabetes), as your eye doctor can detect diabetic retinopathy in its earlier stages before symptoms become apparent.

Symptoms of proliferative diabetic retinopathy include:
  • Blurred vision
  • Floaters
  • Double vision
  • Near vision problems
  • Seeing dark spots (scotomas)
  • Difficulty seeing at night

What are the Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Non-Proliferative Retinopathy (early stage):
This occurs when small bulges–or microaneurysms–form in blood vessels and can leak fluid into the retina.

Proliferative Retinopathy (later phase):
This refers to abnormal vessel growth and leakage in the retina. This triggers a variety of vision problems such as blurriness, reduced field of vision, and even blindness.

If you have diabetes, Tanglewood Family Eyecare in Chagrin Falls offers diagnostic tests and treatment options to help preserve your vision. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the treatment outcome.

Diabetic-Retinopathy-Bllod-sugar-level-checker


How Optometrists Diagnose Diabetic Retinopathy

  • Medical history

    Your optometrist will ask about your medical history, including diabetes, as well as your family history of eye conditions.

  • Dilated pupil exam

    Your optometrist will apply eye drops to dilate the pupils so they can see inside the eye and detect any issues.

  • Fluorescein angiography

    This eye test uses a special dye and camera to look at blood flow in the retina and choroid.

  • Optical coherence tomography

    This imaging method shows a cross-section of the retina and can indicate whether vessels are leaking fluid into the retina.


How to Treat Diabetic Retinopathy

senior man with diabetic retinopathy

Treatment begins with managing blood sugar levels and diabetes. This means eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and taking whatever diabetes medication has been prescribed.

Other treatments will depend on the stage or severity of the disease. If caught early, only blood sugar management may be necessary.

However, if you're in a more advanced stage of the diseases, treatment options may include:
  • Eye medications. Steroid and Anti-VEGF treatments can stop inflammation and prevent the formation of new blood vessels.
  • Laser surgery. Reduces the proliferation of abnormal blood vessels and swelling in the retina.
  • Vitrectomy. If you have proliferative diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye surgery called vitrectomy. This procedure removes scar tissue, blood or fluid, and some of the vitreous gel so light rays can better focus on the retina.

Diabetic Retinopathy FAQs

What are the major risk factors for diabetic retinopathy?

As the name suggests, diabetes is the main risk factor for developing diabetic retinopathy. Be mindful of your family history of type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, get an annual eye exam to detect potential problems early.

Other conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol are also risk factors. Moreover, those of African or Hispanic descent have a higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Can diabetic retinopathy be prevented?

There are a number of ways to preserve your vision and reduce the risk of vision and eye damage due to diabetic retinopathy.

  • Visit your eye doctor for annual eye exams.
  • Control your blood sugar levels.
  • Maintain healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Quit smoking.

The best thing you can do right now is to schedule your eye exam with Tanglewood Family Eyecare in Chagrin Falls to ensure that everything is in check.

Does diabetic retinopathy cause blindness?

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness among work-aged adults. It affects one in three people with diabetes and often goes unnoticed at first. Diagnosing and treating the condition early on can prevent severe vision loss.

Patient Reviews
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159 Reviews
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- Nov. 24, 2024
Great staff, my son is 10 and felt super comfortable throughout the entire exam, even with the dilat... ing drops. Love this office!
- Nov. 15, 2024
The staff is awesome! I have been going here for years. Dr. Erin is so sweet. I love having her as m... y eye doctor!
- Sep. 28, 2024
Received professional, knowledgeable and friendly service. The doctor and the staff are fabulous! �... ��
- Jul. 27, 2024
A very professional evaluation and treatment. ......loved it!!!!
- Jul. 14, 2024
Staff is friendly and efficient. Provider was thorough, kind, and knowledgable. Would absolutely rec... ommend Tanglewood eyecare!
- Jun. 09, 2024
The office staff is very friendly and efficient. Doing the paperwork online is very nice and saves ... time in office. Dr. Mackanos is super nice, explains things well, she takes her time you don’t feel rushed at all. She makes sure all questions are answered. I took my almost 5 year old daughter for her first eye exam and she was so good at talking to her and including her in the conversations and explained everything she was going to do to her before she did it. I’m so happy we finally found our new family eye doctor!
- Jun. 05, 2024
Dr.Erin and her staff were very efficient and friendly and took the time to explain what was going o... n. I would highly recommend them!
- May. 05, 2024
Very nice people, professional and courteous.
- May. 03, 2024
I’m very pleased with my check up and my glasses I just got
- Mar. 27, 2024
Best eye care staff in the area
- Mar. 22, 2024
Fast, easy, and a convenient location. Dr. Mackanos and her team are friendly and great with patien... ts. They do not push unnecessary care.
- Mar. 06, 2024
Dr. Mackanos is a very thorough and caring optometrist. The entire staff is friendly and efficient. ... Easy online scheduling, too! I highly recommend Tanglewood Family Eyecare.
- Feb. 22, 2024
All staff are lovely and professional! I keep returning due to the personable care and great frames... selection!
- Feb. 21, 2024
Friendly staff, good location, good service.
- Feb. 06, 2024
Everything from scheduling as a new patient to getting my new pair of glasses felt simple and easy. ... Staff was very friendly and foster a calm and welcoming feeling.
- Jan. 30, 2024
Linda who handles the glasses is the best. Her personality is excellent and she is always helpful i... n any and all situations. Thanks Linda!
- Jan. 25, 2024
They went above and beyond to help me and my husband when we needed an out of state renewal of our d... rivers license and eye exam to accompany the application.
- Jan. 15, 2024
Very friendly and professional. Great service!
- Jan. 06, 2024
Up beat atmosphere and happy smiling people.
- Jan. 06, 2024
Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Highly recommended.

View All 159 Reviews

Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis & Treatment in Chagrin Falls

Our optometry practice in Chagrin Falls

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blood sugaer level testing kit

Have diabetes?

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.

(440) 543-5186