Diabetes Vision Care Specialist
-
- Tweet
Stockdale Optometry
Optometry & Licensed Optometrists located in Bakersfield, CA
About 30 million Americans have diabetes. It’s a chronic disease that increases your risk for a variety of health conditions, including eye damage and vision loss. If you have diabetes, it’s important to get regular eye exams to protect your eye health and maintain your vision. Turn to the optometric physicians at Stockdale Optometry in Bakersfield, California, for comprehensive diabetes vision care. Make an appointment online or by phone today to find out more.
Diabetes Vision Care
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that influences the way your body processes and uses sugar for energy. Sugar, or glucose, is your body’s main source of energy. It comes from the foods you eat and fuels your brain, muscles, and tissues.
When you ingest glucose, it goes into your bloodstream. Your body uses insulin, a hormone that’s created in your pancreas, to convert the glucose into energy that can be used by your cells. If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or it can’t use the insulin it does make.
The glucose level in your blood rises when there’s not enough insulin to convert it into energy. There are different types of diabetes, but the most common is type 2. People with type 2 diabetes need to closely monitor their insulin and blood sugar levels to manage the condition and prevent serious health complications.
What is diabetic eye disease?
Diabetes is associated with numerous health problems, including increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and nerve damage. One common health complication of diabetes is diabetic eye disease, because having high blood sugar can damage your eyes over time.
Diabetic eye disease is a condition that includes diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, along with cataracts and glaucoma. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye-related complication that people with diabetes face.
The blood vessels inside your retina suffer damage with diabetic retinopathy. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy can include:
- Dark or blank spots in vision
- Blurry vision
- Reduced peripheral vision
- Floaters
- Flashing lights or rings
- Eye pain or pressure
The onset of diabetic retinopathy can be slow, and you may not notice early warning signs. To protect your vision long-term, you should visit the eye doctor at least once a year for diabetes vision care.
What does diabetes vision care include?
Vision loss that results from diabetic retinopathy or diabetic eye disease is usually irreversible. The good news is that early detection and effective treatment can significantly reduce your risk of suffering permanent vision loss.
The team at Stockdale Optometry offers diabetes vision care to patients of all ages. Annual eye exams are the best way to detect early signs of diabetic eye disease. Eye dilation allows the team to look inside your eye and identify any changes as early as possible.
If you have diabetic eye disease or are at risk for vision loss, the team can recommend treatment options to help you maintain your vision and eye health. One of the best steps you can take to keep your eyes healthy is managing your diabetes and keeping blood sugar levels under control.
Find the best care for your eyes at Stockdale Optometry. Call or click to make your first appointment today.
