Having comprehensive eye exams in Champaign, IL is essential in preventing eye damage from diseases like macular degeneration, diabetic neuropathy and more. These disease threaten vision like nobody’s business, but with regular checkups, the damage can be kept to a minimum. The earlier that diseases like diabetic neuropathy are diagnosed, the better off you’ll be. Here are some subtle signs of diabetic neuropathy to be on the lookout for:

Blurry or Distorted Vision

One of the first signs of diabetic retinopathy is blurred or distorted vision. You may notice that straight lines appear wavy, or that objects are not as clear as they used to be. This happens when damaged blood vessels in the retina leak fluid, leading to swelling and affecting how light enters the eye.

Difficulty Seeing at Night

Diabetic retinopathy can cause changes in your ability to see clearly in low-light conditions. If you find it increasingly difficult to drive at night or navigate dimly lit spaces, it could be due to damage in the retina’s light-sensitive cells.

Spots or Floaters in Your Vision

Floaters are small spots or strings that seem to float across your vision. These are caused by tiny blood vessels leaking into the vitreous humor, the gel-like substance in the eye. Although occasional floaters are normal, an increase in their frequency or size can be a sign of diabetic retinopathy.

Since diabetic retinopathy often develops without noticeable symptoms in the early stages, routine eye exams are crucial for those with diabetes. Early detection and treatment can prevent significant vision loss. If you notice any of these subtle signs, schedule an eye exam with your eye doctor as soon as possible. Book an appointment today with Champaign Eye Professionals, your optometrists in Champaign, IL.

At Champaign Eye Professionals, we work hard to keep our patients’ eyes as healthy as possible. But sometimes underlying diseases and other conditions can affect eye health in ways that aren’t always preventable. Diabetes is one of those underlying conditions that can cause diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to vision loss or even blindness. This is why it’s so important to let your eye doctor know of all your health conditions, even though they might not directly involve your eyes. When you visit us for a comprehensive eye exam in Champaign, IL, we will look for signs of developing diabetic retinopathy if it’s relevant to your health. In the meantime, here are three signs of developing diabetic retinopathy you can be wary of at home.

1. Blurred or Distorted Vision

One of the early signs of diabetic retinopathy is blurred or distorted vision. High blood sugar levels can damage the small blood vessels in the retina, causing fluid to leak and leading to swelling. This swelling can distort your vision, making it difficult to see clearly or focus on objects.

2. Dark Spots or Floaters

Another common symptom is the appearance of dark spots or floaters in your field of vision. As the blood vessels in the retina become damaged, they may bleed into the eye, creating these floaters. If left untreated, this can lead to more severe vision problems.

3. Difficulty Seeing at Night

People with diabetic retinopathy may experience difficulty seeing at night or in low-light conditions. As the condition progresses, the retina’s ability to process light diminishes, leading to poor night vision. This symptom can make driving at night or moving through dimly lit areas increasingly challenging.

To book your next eye exam, contact your Champaign, IL eye doctor today. Early diagnosis and treatment for diabetic retinopathy may just save your eyesight!

If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, it’s important to let your Champaign, IL, eye doctor know. Diabetes in all its forms can negatively impact your eyesight in ways that may not be immediately obvious to you. In particular, diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that endangers your eyesight. Here are some of the ways that diabetes affects your ability to see:

Damage to Blood Vessels

In diabetes, high levels of blood sugar weaken blood vessels throughout the body, including in the eyes. It can damage the delicate blood vessels in the retina, leading to fluid and blood leaks in the retina itself.

Formation of New Blood Vessels

When damage to the retina’s blood vessels occurs, the body’s natural response is often to form new blood vessels. These new blood vessels are typically even more delicate and weak and can bleed in the gel-like substance that is inside the eye, called the vitreous.

Swelling of the Macula

The macula is a tissue-thin part of the eye located at the back of the eye that’s responsible for central vision. Diabetes frequently causes swelling of the macular, which causes impairment of central vision. There’s also a heightened risk of blindness when this occurs.

Risk of Permanent Vision Loss

Diabetic retinopathy carries with it a higher risk of permanent loss of vision. Certain changes in the eyes are irreversible, which is another reason why it’s essential to have frequent eye exams.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, be sure to let your optometrist know at your next Champaign, IL, eye exam. Knowing that you have this dangerous underlying condition will help your eye doctor to be especially on the lookout for any signs of vision endangerment. Contact us today to book your next eye exam or to learn more about diabetes and vision loss.

Diabetic retinopathy is a serious condition that can eventually lead to blindness if left untreated. Unfortunately, there are few early warning signs that are obvious to the patient. This is why your eye doctor in Champaign, IL encourages you to come in for routine eye exams. Your eye doctor can detect early warning signs of the condition long before they become apparent to you.

Behind the Scenes

What happens behind the scenes in diabetic retinopathy is what eventually leads to some of the warning signs perceptible to the patient later on. This condition includes, but is not limited to, the abnormal growth of new blood cells in the retina.

1. Floaters

Vitreous hemorrhage in diabetic retinopathy is when the new blood cells leak into the vitreous in the center of the eye. This often results in what are commonly called floaters. An increase in the frequency or number of floaters could be an early warning sign of diabetic retinopathy.

2. Lessened Ability to Discern Colors

Colors may appear duller and it may be challenging to detect differences between similar hues.

3. Decreased Night Vision

Vision doesn’t adjust as quickly to changes in light, and night vision may disappear altogether.

4. Pain in the Eyes

Pain from increased pressure inside the eyes may present as dull and throbbing or sharp and sporadic.

5. Fluctuations in Vision Clarity

Vision may suddenly become blurry, then return to clear, then back again.

6. Blank Areas in Vision

Dark spots or “blank” spots may appear in the field of vision. These blank areas may come and go sporadically, they may drift or they might stay in one spot.

A comprehensive eye exam in Champaign, IL can help to detect diabetic retinopathy as soon as possible. Contact us to schedule your eye exam today.

 

Diabetes can affect your body in dramatic ways, including your eyesight. Knowing what diabetes can do to your eyesight and what you can do to avoid vision problems created by diabetes. At Champaign Eye Professionals, we perform comprehensive eye exams to look out for the effects of diabetes. Here’s what you need to know about diabetes and how it can impact your eyesight.

Diabetes Puts You At Risk

Diabetes can put patients at risk for a number of conditions that can lead to loss of sight in various ways. Eye conditions that diabetic patients are most at risk for include:

• Glaucoma
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Macular edema
• Cataracts

Seeing the Eye Doctor Is Important

Some of the conditions that patients are at risk of developing have few or no symptoms in the early stages and can lead to permanent loss of eyesight. The only way to catch some of these conditions in the early stages is to see the eye doctor regularly for comprehensive examinations. During these exams, the eye doctor will dilate the eyes and look inside to identify damage from eye diseases.

Know the Symptoms to Watch Out For

Knowing the symptoms of eye disease can prompt patients to go to the eye doctor in Champaign, IL as soon as symptoms emerge.

• Blurry vision
• Wavy vision
• Poor color vision
• Dark areas in the vision
• Floaters in vision
• Flashes of light
• Vision loss

Make An Appointment With Your Eye Doctor

Are you noticing problems with your vision? Do you have diabetes? Visit the eye doctor once annually. Contact the pros at Champaign Eye Professionals. We’ll schedule a comprehensive vision exam to diagnose your vision problems today.