Preserve Your Vision With Northeast Eye Care Of Hugo

Diabetic Retinopathy in Hugo

Preserve Your Vision With Northeast Eye Care Of Hugo

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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 Northeast Eye Care Of Hugo 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, Northeast Eye Care Of Hugo in Hugo 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 Hugo

Our optometry practice in Hugo

Photograph of Kristi  Iverson
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Tuesday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday Closed
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Cigna
  • Spectera
  • Superior Vision
  • Davis Vision
  • EyeMed
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

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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47 Reviews
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- Sep. 15, 2023
The personnel are so friendly and helpful. I feel I am getting the best care.
- Aug. 17, 2023
Excellent customer service.
- Jul. 19, 2023
Fantastic customer service. Dr. Toler took all the time I needed to answer my questions. Very thor... ough. Every staff member was attentive and kind. I am so happy I went there
- Feb. 24, 2023
Dr Iverson is wonderful, as is Sandy and all the staff.
- Feb. 23, 2023
(Translated by Google) Since I arrived they were very friendly and the rest were very professional, ... which is why I recommend them. (Original) Desde que llegué fueron muy amables y el resto muy profesional, por eso los recomiendo.
- Feb. 22, 2023
Dr Garofola is an excellent eye doctor who takes time with his patients and truly cares for you. He�... ��ll answer and explain every question and you can tell he enjoys his job. It’s hard to find doctors who care for his patients like he does, he is one of a kind!
- Jan. 30, 2023
Very professional, didnt waste any time getting the exams done and helped me pick out some new frame... s.
- Jan. 28, 2023
Fast, friendly, and convenient!
- Jan. 05, 2023
I am handicapped and they did everything possible to make me comfortable
- Dec. 16, 2022
They are very friendly, organized and helpful. Happy to learn that I have worked with some their te... am before.
- Dec. 15, 2022
Excellent staff that took care of us very professionally. Thank you!
- Nov. 08, 2022
Great experience very nice staff from front desk to the Doctor A+++++..They took the time to listen ... and help me. .Would recommend to everyone just took the time to go through everything and you can tell they all cared about helping me thanks A++++++
- Sep. 21, 2022
Dr Garafalo impressed me with his knowledge & skill. He also adeptly answered my questions. Furtherm... ore, he was determined to provide the best vision possible. I am looking forward to seeing through my new script. Will update. Staff was also personable.
- Nov. 20, 2020
I have never given a review before but after my appointment with Dr. Kristi Iverson I felt a review ... with 5 stars was a must. Walking into the office I was impressed with the the number of glasses there were on hand from designer to affordable. My appointment with Dr. Iverson was impressive. She is very kind and professional. I had multiple test done and she explained the tests and shared the results with me so I had a full understanding of what was going on with my eyes, When choosing glasses there are so many to chose from. With the help of her assistant the process of finding a pair was quite easy as she knows glasses and faces. I have never left any doctors office being so impressed, Thanks for the wonderful experience.
- Mar. 05, 2020
Great doctors, very personable, wide variety of frames. I appreciate the time Dr. Iverson took to f... ind me a new contact lens after mine was discontinued after ten years. Way better than any box store eye clinic.
- Jul. 16, 2019
I've been going here for years and I can honestly say that I've only had fantastic experiences. I've... been seen by both Dr. Iverson and Dr. Garofalo and they are wonderful, kind people who are genuinely concerned with your wellbeing and work hard to make sure you can see. Cannot recommend them enough!
- May. 20, 2019
Great people amazing service and though exams they love what they do.... and it shows
- Dec. 12, 2018
Purchased safety glasses with a different style frame then previous year and just could not see corr... ectly out of them. Mandy sent them back to have adjustments made to the lens position and I was still unable to wear them. Staff was very helpful and we decided to try the same style frames that worked last year. I was very happy with the results after all the time put in by everyone. Thank you, Dan s.
- Dec. 10, 2017
Hi Had a recent annual eye exam at NE Eye Clinic. Entire staff is very friendly and professional a... nd took time to answer all my questions. Like the flexibility of the office hours. Would highly recommend this clinic to any eye patients.
- Dec. 01, 2017
First ever visit was today. Great facility and very friendly staff.

View All 47 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 Northeast Eye Care Of Hugo in Hugo 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