Olney Eye Doctor

Diabetes damages small blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the eye. Your retina, which is the light sensitive nerve tissue the lines the back of the eyeball, is particularly susceptible to this damaging effects of diabetes. Though your doctor will likely explain all the effects diabetes can have on your body, it is advised that you visit an Olney optometrist, like Drs. Ely and Cohen at Fulton Eye Care Center to fully understand the scope of what diabetes can do to your vision. Retinal damage due to diabetes, also called diabetic retinopathy, can either be so mild it causes zero visual impairment, or so severe that it causes vision loss and blindness. Diabetes-related vision loss has become so prevalent, that it is now the leading cause of new blindness, affecting people between 20 and 74 years old.

Diabetic Eye Care Olney

The two major risk factors for developing diabetic retinopathy are blood sugar control and how long someone has had the disease. Though the best way to avoid diabetic retinopathy is diabetes prevention, maintaining a strict focus on controlling your blood sugar and committing to regular doctor visits can limit any diabetes-related vision problems.

Once diagnosed with diabetes, it is essential for you to schedule yearly eye exams with Drs. Ely and Cohen at Fulton Eye Care Center in Maryland. During this quick examination, our Olney eye doctors will perform a dilated retinal evaluation to examine the retina for any damage. If signs of diabetic retinopathy are discovered, early treatment may just involve controlling blood sugar intake. However, if the condition worsens, laser surgery is sometimes required to avoid loss of vision. If you have diabetes, be sure to visit the eye care professionals at Fulton Eye Care Center once a year to ensure your retina and your eye sight remain unharmed.

Diabetic Eye Care Olney
3933 Ferrara Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20906
301-579-3204

Olney Family Eye Care
7625 Maple Lawn Blvd Suite 125
Fulton, Maryland 20759
301-876-4069

By Maple Lawn Eye Care Center

December 7, 2012