Preserve Your Vision With Crown Vision Center - Florissant

Diabetic Retinopathy in Florissant

Preserve Your Vision With Crown Vision Center - Florissant

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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 Crown Vision Center - Florissant 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, Crown Vision Center - Florissant in Florissant 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 in Florissant

Our optometry practice in Florissant

Photograph of Ashley  Hemphill
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Tuesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
  • Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
  • Sunday Closed
  • Dec. 25 Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Cigna
  • Superior Vision
  • Spectera
  • Humana
  • Davis Vision
  • Tricare
  • Medicaid
  • Avesis
  • National Vision Administration (NVA)
  • Anthem
  • AlwaysCare
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • EyeMed
  • Blue Cross
  • MetLife
  • Wellcare

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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346 Reviews
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- Sep. 12, 2023
Good Service and good deals !
- Aug. 07, 2023
Customer service was excellent when making my selection and upon pickup my service was fast and exc... eptional. I will definitely be bringing my son in for his new glasses
- Aug. 03, 2023
The staff at this location is always super nice! They always answer my questions thoroughly. They al... so get you in & out. They never have an attitude, always welcoming me and my family with a smile. They are also really good with kids as well when it comes to exams & picking out glasses. Very knowledgable crew they have!
- Jun. 07, 2023
Great staff, great service!
- May. 27, 2023
Great atmosphere great energy
- Apr. 23, 2023
Everyone who works there are so friendly and work together so well. Thank you!
- Jan. 23, 2023
I ❤️ My New Eyeglasses & That's My First Time I Went To (Crown Vision) On Friday, January 13th, ... 2023 & I ❤ It.
- Jan. 22, 2023
The team was extreme helpful. They not only helped me pick out new frames, but also adjusted my old ... frames so I was more comfortable while I was waiting for my new glasses. My new glasses are fantastic. The lenses make everything very sharp and crisp even though they were the same RX as my old ones.
- Dec. 07, 2022
The staff at Crown Vision is super polite & helpful! My 4 kids go there & we've been so happy with t... hem that I have now switched to them for myself too!
- Oct. 26, 2022
People were great and the glasses were a great improvement
- Sep. 22, 2022
They got Versace glasses 👓
- Sep. 04, 2022
Good great
- Aug. 17, 2022
Everyone was nice and knew their job!
- Jul. 13, 2022
The staff and doctor was very nice and made my daughter feel relaxed and welcomed by it being her fi... rst time. Thank you
- May. 27, 2022
We Went there she help us less than five minutes she is the best ERIN Dooley Thanck u She made our d... ay help my kids she vary nic
- Apr. 10, 2022
quality customer service
- Mar. 29, 2022
Best customer service and their selection of frames is wonderful.
- Feb. 11, 2022
Excellent services from start to finish. The staff paid close attention to detail and the doctor did... a thorough exam.
- Jan. 25, 2022
Prompt, curteous and professional. I would definitely recommend.
- Dec. 30, 2021
The eye doctor, Dr. Mary Hohenberger, was very thorough in the exam. She took her time to explain al... l my questions. I could not be more comfortable with her experience and tender care. The other staff were very courteous and welcoming. It was an enjoyable experience.

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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 Crown Vision Center - Florissant in Florissant 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