Diabetic Retinopathy, an eye-related disease that stems from the high blood sugars of diabetes, is one of the leading causes of blindness in adults. Like so many things, your eyes are a surprising window into your overall health, and the impacts of various disease processes on your vision can be devastating. That’s one of the many reasons it’s crucial to establish and maintain regular care with our Nashville Optometrist.
In fact, you should think of checkups with our Nashville Optometrist as you do with your primary care doctor. We can monitor the progression of any direct eye-related diseases and help catch problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and other major whole-body diseases early.
If you’re looking for a new Nashville Optometrist, Dr. Connie James at Music City Optical is a fantastic choice. Our office uses cutting-edge technology and offers comprehensive eye care. We’ll serve as an essential part of your medical team. We also provide cutting-edge aesthetic services, such as IPL and RF treatments, and an optical boutique with an extensive collection of designer frames and modern glasses.
Whether you struggle with diabetes or not, now’s the perfect time to establish regular care with us. Schedule an appointment with the leading Nashville Optometrist today.
How Diabetes Affects Vision
Diabetes is a pervasive problem in modern society, affecting nearly 12% of the adult American population. If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you likely know that you’re at higher risk for heart-related diseases, reduced circulation in your extremities, nerve damage, and even limb loss. But did you also know that diabetes puts you at serious risk for blindness?
Diabetes – especially when it’s not monitored or well controlled – can drastically affect your eye health and cause a range of issues, from damage to the blood vessels in the retina to more severe conditions like diabetic Retinopathy, which can lead to vision loss. Regular eye exams can detect signs of diabetes and other disease processes early, often before you experience other symptoms.
Over time, elevated blood sugar levels can put a lot of strain on the blood vessels in your eyes. You likely won’t know there’s a potential problem with your vision until you’re late in the disease process – but signs of diabetes-related vision problems include blurry vision, floating spots or streaks in your vision, and, in the most severe cases, blindness. In addition to diabetic Retinopathy, patients with diabetes are also at higher risk for eye-related problems like cataracts, diabetic macular edema, and open-angle glaucoma.
An important diagnostic tool for patients with diabetes is a dilated eye exam with retinal photography and OCT. This will allow our Nashville Optemtrist to measure the overall health of your eye, including the deeper layers of your retina, and potentially detect any problems long before you have symptoms. Eye exams allow eye doctors to detect subtle changes in the retina, enabling early intervention and treatment that can prevent or delay vision loss.
Early detection is often crucial to managing the effects of diabetes on the eyes – and the only way to do that is to establish care with the leading Nashville Optometrist, Dr. Connie James. Our office is conveniently located in Nashville’s Music Row and offers comprehensive eye care for your busy life. Book your appointment today!
