Diabetic Eye Care

What is diabetic eye care?

When unmanaged, diabetes can damage your blood vessels, including the tiny vessels in your eyes, which can lead to a variety of eye diseases that often lead to vision loss and blindness. 

LaSante Health Center provides expert diabetic eye care, evaluating your eye health, and providing the necessary treatments to protect your vision. 

If you have diabetes, you should have a comprehensive eye exam at least once a year, or more frequently if you have an increased risk of eye disease. 

Your eye doctor provides thorough testing to check for signs of diabetic eye disease and provides advice to help you manage your eye health. 

The eye health care experts at LaSante Health Center can collaborate with your primary care provider to provide joined-up diabetic health care services. 

How does diabetes affect my eyes?

As mentioned, diabetes damages the blood vessels in your eyes. These blood vessels can leak excess blood and other fluids into your eye. 

Diabetes can also trigger the growth of new abnormal blood vessels in your eye and on your retina. These changes trigger diabetic eye diseases such as:

• Diabetic retinopathy
• Macular edema
• Glaucoma

Diabetes can also increase your risk of developing cataracts. 

How is diabetic eye disease diagnosed?

Your eye doctor at LaSante Health Center diagnoses diabetic eye diseases during comprehensive eye exams. They provide careful screenings to assess the health of your retina, macula, and other eye structures. 

If your eye doctor finds any signs of diabetic eye disease, they perform more extensive testing, including optical coherence tomography or fluorescein angiography. These tests provide more detailed information about your retina, blood vessels, and overall eye health. 

What are the available diabetic eye care treatments?

If necessary, your eye doctor can prescribe medication or other treatments to preserve your eye health and vision. 

For example, if you have diabetic retinopathy, they can prescribe eye drops that stop abnormal blood vessels from growing or leaking into your eye. They can also provide referrals for laser surgeries to get rid of abnormal blood vessels and reduce leakage and swelling.

If you have diabetes and are looking for expert diabetic eye care, call LaSante Health Center, or make an appointment online today.