Preserve Your Vision With Memorial Eye Center - Spring Klein

Diabetic Retinopathy

Preserve Your Vision With Memorial Eye Center - Spring Klein

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 Memorial Eye Center - Spring Klein 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, Memorial Eye Center - Spring Klein in Spring 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

Our optometry practice in Spring

Photograph of Christopher  Doan
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Tuesday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
  • Thursday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Saturday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Spectera
  • Medicaid
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Blue Cross
  • MetLife

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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213 Reviews
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- Mar. 11, 2023
A great staff that’s always ready to assist you.
- Feb. 03, 2023
The whole staff was so helpful and loved Dr. Nguyen! Highly recommend.
- Jan. 17, 2023
Dr. Doan was knowledgeable and patient with my nervous 8 year old son, who struggled a bit with the ... eye exam. My son felt frustrated when he couldn't easily read all the letters, but Dr. Doan took the time to help him understand the issues with his vision. The staff was extremely friendly and kind! I would definitely recommend Memorial Eye Center - Spring Klein!
- Jan. 13, 2023
Niceee n quick !!
- Jan. 02, 2023
The staff and Dr. Nguyen are very professional and friendly. The eye center is run well - they were ... on schedule, had my insurance and health records ready. Check out was a breeze and all charges were explained. It took about 30 minutes to have the exam and order my contacts. I am very satisfied.
- Dec. 31, 2022
I LOVE this location. The staff are absolutely AMAZING!!
- Dec. 25, 2022
Firs time going and I have to say one of the best eye doctor experience. Knowledgeable and friendly ... staff as well as a doctor who made things easy.
- Dec. 19, 2022
Everyone is amazing here. They all call me by name every time I walk in the door. It makes me feel l... ike family. Bonnie is over the top wonderful. You can tell she loves what she does because I feel the love every time I visit.
- Oct. 22, 2022
Everything was lovely. Very friendly staff, professional and efficient.
- Oct. 04, 2022
Excellent customer service!!!
- Oct. 04, 2022
Great customer service
- Sep. 14, 2022
Dr Nguyen is SO knowledgeable and explains things really well. He has amazing bedside manner and I e... njoy my appointments with him. His staff are all really good at what they do. They seem to make a great team and are efficient at getting me in and out the door. Highly recommend!
- Aug. 16, 2022
Great!!place!!very good service!!
- Aug. 15, 2022
Wow. I've been wearing glasses for over 30 years and no one has even taken the time to explain the ... differences in lenses during my exam. Dr Nguyen went above and beyond to talk me through what he was seeing on his end and helped me find the best prescription for my needs. Staff was also great and Stacey stayed late without complaint to make sure I found the frames I wanted. Excellent experience - highly recommend.
- Aug. 01, 2022
Amazing team of professionals.
- Jul. 27, 2022
Kind staff, the doctor is knowledgeable, thorough, and efficient
- Jul. 17, 2022
The team at Memorial Eye Center are super nice and very knowledgeable. They make the entire experien... ce incredibly easy.
- Nov. 04, 2021
Love Dr.Nugyen and his staff! Takes the time to explain and answers your questions with no rush! Lik... e a big happy family, great coworkers are essential for a work place. This place has it!
- Oct. 23, 2021
super friendly and informative , coming back for my glasses in a week 🙂
- Jun. 24, 2021
I have been going to Memorial Eye Center for years. The doctor and staff are the best. Thank you.

View All 213 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 Memorial Eye Center - Spring Klein in Spring 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