Causes and Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy
There are plenty of vision problems out there that people face. Some are generally simple to address, like refractive errors, which can be corrected with laser vision correction surgery or corrective lenses. Others may require much more involved therapies and treatments given the nature of the eye condition and its cause. Thats definitely the case with diabetic retinopathy.At the Beverly Hills eye surgery center of Dr. David Parks, he has used his expertise and skill in vision care to help numerous patients deal with diabetic retinopathy. Lets take a moment right now to look at the causes, symptoms, and treatments for this eye condition.
Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition linked to type I and type II diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy is caused when the blood vessels of the eye are unable to supply the necessary oxygen to the retina. Sometimes the blood vessels themselves can leak onto the retina. This causes damage to the retina, potentially resulting in severe vision impairment and even blindness. Its estimated that diabetic retinopathy affects approximately 80 percent of people who have had diabetes for more than 10 years.
One of the toughest things about diabetic retinopathy is that it is hard to detect since patients often do not notice any outward symptoms. Its for this reason that Dr. Parks stresses to his patients that they should get their eyes checked regularly. Routine examinations can identify potential early warning signs of the condition.
There are different kinds of Beverly Hills diabetic retinopathy treatments available. One is laser photocoagulation, which will treat the damaged blood vessels of the eye through the use of a safe surgical laser. Another is a vitrectomy surgery, which will remove and replace the clouded gel within the eye. Lastly, there are medications that can be placed into the vitreous gel of the eye to improve the clarity of your vision. Undergoing one of these treatments or a combination of these treatments provides patients with a great chance of maintaining their vision before severe visual impairment can take place.
If you would like to learn more about treatment for diabetic retinopathy as well as other eye care topics, be sure to contact Los Angeles ophthalmologist Dr. David Parks today.
