Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment

Vision is one of our biggest commodities. Being able to see goes into so much of our daily experience and for many, it is easy to take that for granted and neglect our own eye care. However, even if you don't have a history of vision problems, or if your vision has seemingly "leveled out" it is still important to see your optometrist regularly. At Harrington Vision Center in Florence, we don't just update eyeglass prescriptions, we are here to provide the eye care services you need and can diagnose eye health conditions before you even notice symptoms. One condition our exams check for is diabetic retinopathy. If you want to learn more about diabetic retinopathy, our optometrist and friendly staff can help you.

What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is a byproduct of diabetes, where the retinas, located in the back of the eye, become damaged because the blood vessels around it have become compromised by the disease. The blood vessels may leak and eventually lead to blurred vision. Sometimes people are diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy by their eye doctor before they realize they are diabetic.

Diabetic retinopathy is classified into two types, Non-Proliferative (NPDR) and Proliferative (PDR). NPDR is the early stage, where little or no symptoms are noticed by the patient. The blood vessels may be weakened and have small bulges to begin to leak into the retina. PDR is more advanced and circulation problems can cut off oxygen to the retinas. New blood vessels grow in the retina and leak blood that clouds vision.

Your Optometrist's Role in Eye Care for Diabetic Retinopathy

Many cases of diabetic retinopathy and even diabetes are diagnosed by optometrists if we at Harrington Vision Center notice this one of our first suggestions will be to seek out advice from your regular medical provider for proper treatment for your diabetes. There is no cure for diabetic retinopathy or any vision loss you may have already experienced, but keeping up with treatment from your own doctor as well as managing your condition as directed, and working to reduce your blood pressure can slow the progression of the disease and help you keep more of your vision longer. 

It is also a good idea to see what other adjustments you might need to make for your health, such as improving your nutrition, stopping smoking, or getting better sleep. At Harrington Vision Center, we will encourage all of these things and determine a proper follow-up schedule based on input from your doctor.

Call Harrington Vision Center Today!

If you have a known need to manage diabetic retinopathy, or you are just due for an eye exam, contact us at Harrington Vision Center at one of our two Florence, SC locations; Downtown on W. Cheves St. at (843) 662-0691 or in West Florence on Evans St. at (843) 669-2020.