Preserve Your Vision With Advanced Eye Care Professionals

Diabetic Retinopathy in Oak Lawn

Preserve Your Vision With Advanced Eye Care Professionals

(708) 229-2200

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


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 Advanced Eye Care Professionals 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, Advanced Eye Care Professionals in Oak Lawn 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.


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.

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 Advanced Eye Care Professionals in Oak Lawn 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.

Patient Reviews
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203 Reviews
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- Sep. 23, 2024
The staff is friendly and helpful. Dr Hogan is amazing
- Sep. 22, 2024
Advanced eye care professionals alway exceed expectations and are very knowledgeable. They really c... are about their patients.
- Sep. 20, 2024
Staff explained everything and made it comfortable for my daughter and myself to get our eye exams.
- Sep. 17, 2024
Dr. O has been doing my exams for years, always fantastic!! The staff were amazing as well.
- Sep. 09, 2024
I SEE DR. HOGAN EVERY YEAR FOR ANNUAL EYE EXAMS. SHE IS A WONDERFUL DOCTOR AND I FEEL CONFIDENT IN ... HER SKILLS. SHE IS THOROUGH AND VERY CARING.
- Jun. 12, 2024
Love the personal attention, no rushing and customer service.
- Jun. 11, 2024
Dr. Opferman was fantastic, as always!
- May. 26, 2024
Highly recommend Dr. Tiffany Polanek and the whole staff at Advanced Eye Care. The whole process of ... making an appointment to the communication, to the actual appointment itself is a well oiled machine.
- May. 12, 2024
This place is fantastic. I loved everyone I saw that day. I just wish they had Saturday hours. I... 'm a school teacher with an evening job as well. The lack of Saturday hours made picking up my item difficult. I had to take time off work to go pick up my glasses. That was the only issue. My original appointment was during spring break but the pick up time was a few weeks later.
- May. 09, 2024
Advanced Eye Care is a great place. I wouldn't go anywhere else. Dr. Hogan is kind and very profess... ional. Her staff is great. They called me when an earlier appointment opened up just like they said they would. I would highly recommend!
- May. 09, 2024
AEP is a great place to have your peepers checked and Dr. Polanek is a top notch doctor!!
- Apr. 11, 2024
No wait, great doc and warm staff. Great experience.
- Mar. 29, 2024
I have been coming here for three years and I absolutely love the doctors and staff. Everyone is ama... zing.
- Mar. 04, 2024
Dr Hogan and her staff are friendly, professional and highly experienced. I would not trust anyone ... else to provide care to my daughters.
- Feb. 27, 2024
Dr. Polanek is the best. Very friendly and great bedside manner. Highly recommend her if you are loo... king for an eye doctor.
- Feb. 27, 2024
I had very red eyes and I did not know what it was took the doctor 15 minutes to find out I have pin... k eye. Gave me medicine and said I am good to go. They were fast and not messing around 5 stars
- Feb. 12, 2024
Great Staff, Great Services
- Feb. 11, 2024
A great doctor and a great staff.
- Jan. 05, 2024
Great Eye Dr, very thorough and took time to explain things so that my mom could understand them. Al... so very kind and friendly. Great experience!
- Dec. 31, 2023
Courteous, helpful staff with professional and knowledgeable Doctors.

View All 203 Reviews

Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis & Treatment in Oak Lawn

Our optometry practice in Oak Lawn

Photograph of Casey  Hogan
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  • Thursday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday Closed
  • Saturday By Appointment Only
  • Sunday Closed
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blood sugaer level testing kit

Have diabetes?

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.

(708) 229-2200