If you have diabetic retinopathy, you are probably already know that diabetes can affect your good vision. For this reason, it is important that you come in to see our diabetic eye doctor in Marine Park on a periodic basis, for eye exams.
Diabetic retinopathy care in Marine Park
Just one of the expert eye doctors who can be seen at our vision practice, Brook Plaza Ophthalmology, is Dr. Jacob Ackerman. Many of our patients come in to see us for diabetic eye exams to make sure that diabetes is not affecting their good vision. Patients may develop diabetic retinopathy when they have an extended period of elevated levels of sugar in their bloodstream. Sometimes the early symptoms of diabetic retinopathy are not evident to the patient, and will only be found during a comprehensive eye exam. If macula edema occurs due to high levels of sugar, the patient’s vision can become blurry, and this can happen on an intermittent basis. If the patient has proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and abnormal new blood vessels develop around the retina, the blood vessels can bleed and leak other fluids. This can cause small specks or large floaters to obscure the patient’s vision. If a large hemorrhage occurs from this problem, the patient’s vision can become extremely blurred. Diabetic retinopathy can be easily diagnosed during a comprehensive eye exam during which time the retina and the blood vessels that surround it are viewed. In order for this area to be clearly seen, the patient’s pupils need to be dilated, and be viewed with an ophthalmoscope. If it is found that a patient has signs of developing diabetic retinopathy, there are additional tests, such as a fluorescein dye test, that can be performed by our diabetic eye doctor in Marine Park, at our office. The best way to avoid developing problems with diabetic retinopathy is to try your best to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Laser surgery is often the first line of treatment when macula edema or proliferative retinopathy occurs.
