Preserve Your Vision With International Eyecare Center - Kirksville

Diabetic Retinopathy in Kirksville

Preserve Your Vision With International Eyecare Center - Kirksville

Schedule Eye Exam

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


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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 International Eyecare Center - Kirksville 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, International Eyecare Center - Kirksville in Kirksville 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.


Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis & Treatment in Kirksville

Our optometry practice in Kirksville

Photograph of Tara  Guinn
Hours
  • Monday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • Aetna
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Medicare
  • VSP
  • United Healthcare
  • Spectera
  • Anthem
  • Metlife
  • Medicaid

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.
Patient Reviews
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343 Reviews
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- Mar. 10, 2023
Dr. Tara Guinn is simply awesome and the whole IEC team is wonderful!
- Mar. 04, 2023
I've been going to IEC since 2000. Always great service, eyeglass lens prescriptions always accurat... e. Only issue is as an adult with small head, need kids size eyeglasses, and rarely a good selection to fit me to choose from. Eyeglass techs are not well trained to help choose eye glass frames to fit your features, not honest how glasses look on me. Comments on them rarely positive, but learned to accept how I look out of necessity.
- Feb. 08, 2023
Great treatment.
- Feb. 03, 2023
Everyone was helpfully and friendly!
- Jan. 09, 2023
Great service great Dr’s and staff!
- Jan. 08, 2023
The staff is always helpful and friendly
- Dec. 28, 2022
I was diagnosed with fast progressing cataracts from the high dose steroids I've had this year due t... o two MS flares. The doctor was very kind and explained the details of my condition.
- Dec. 09, 2022
Dr. Page is the kind of doctor that listens and gives a thorough explanation of your exam. He is kin... d and has a good, friendly staff. I highly recommend him.
- Nov. 01, 2022
Excellent physicians & staff.
- Oct. 03, 2022
Friendly service. Fast to get glasses.
- Sep. 25, 2022
Fantastic service! The staff was highly efficient and respectful. There was no long wait but they ... did take time to explain everything to me in great detail.
- Sep. 22, 2022
Everyone was very kind, answered any questions I had and in explanation I could understand. Prices w... ere affordable.
- Sep. 09, 2022
Love the whole experience tbh and my bot can finally see far away and Hes absolutely stoked
- Sep. 01, 2022
Follow up on cataract surgery. Staff was on time with appointment, and all involved including Dr. Pa... ge were very friendly, explained procedure so as I could understand what was going on.
- Aug. 25, 2022
The staff was extremely courteous and professional.
- Jul. 30, 2022
I received great service from Dr. Adler and all staff. I recommend IEC for all your eyecare needs!!
- Jul. 07, 2022
I love the frame selection. Very friendly and professional service.
- May. 21, 2022
Staff are very helpful when ordering contacts and glasses!
- May. 20, 2022
Overall good experience. Would have been nice if the lady who gave me the eye test had told me her ... name.
- May. 18, 2022
Always have great experiences with Dr. Page and he always has an answer to my questions!!

View All 343 Reviews

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 International Eyecare Center - Kirksville in Kirksville 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.


blood sugaer level testing kit

Have diabetes?

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.

Schedule Eye Exam