Preserve Your Vision With Garland Vision Center

Diabetic Retinopathy in Garland

Preserve Your Vision With Garland Vision Center

(972) 496-2020

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 Garland Vision Center 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, Garland Vision Center in Garland 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 Garland Vision Center in Garland 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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546 Reviews
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- Nov. 28, 2024
They are prompt, mostly 😅, with their appointment times. EVERYONE is extremely helpful and knowle... dgeable and I HIGHLY recommend them!!! And will continue to do so!
- Nov. 01, 2024
Beautiful office, efficient staff, and Dr Hardin's expertise in treating dry eye. I will likely retu... rn for my annual eye exam.
- Oct. 19, 2024
The staff and Doc are fantastic and worked hard to help me get my contacts before I left for vacatio... n.
- Oct. 08, 2024
We loooooooooooooove the Vision Center. My princess has been going here for 5 years now. & I would n... ot change a thing. Great stat, clean very clean facility… Thank You Vision Center 💕
- Oct. 08, 2024
Helpful and friendly staff. Whole experience was wonderful.
- Sep. 21, 2024
Great service Great staff very friendly I was from overseas with my prescription from another doctor... in Qatar 🇶🇦 and my insurance was not covering my new glasses So I call them to find out how I can get my new glasses and they told me if I was in USA it will be covered Three days later I bought the tickets to come back home in Tx and for few days I visited few visions clinics but I was not able to get any help Went to Walmart I didn't get any help there, on my way home I find Garland vision center, I told my Auntie let ask here if I can get any help And for sure I was able to get all what I needed my glasses was covered by my insurance the staff help me to chose my glasses And I was a very happy customer 😀 I called my husband overseas and I told him that I got my new glasses Thank you Garland vision center staff for your time making us look beautiful, I love my glasses
- Sep. 13, 2024
Our overall experience here been great. My wife and I went here for the whole work. Wife did both ey... e glasses and contact exam. I did my usually glasses. Tiffany Yin was our optometrist and explained the process of the exam and outcome in full detail. No issue here with either of us. The receptionist assisted us by explaining our insurance benefits in which eye med is awesome for glasses and made the process of ordering it much easy for us. We're happy with Garland Vision Center and will see them again next year.
- Sep. 03, 2024
Great staff and really go above and beyond!!!! Highly recommended
- Aug. 20, 2024
Staff is friendly and the office is very clean and welcoming. 😊🙂‍↕️
- Aug. 02, 2024
Had a great experience here. Incredibly friendly staff and doctor
- Jul. 20, 2024
Not only is this office gorgeous, Sarah and Manuel were fantastic! Top notch service from both of th... em, especially the way they handled multiple customers at once. 10/10 recommend.
- Jul. 08, 2024
The wide selection of products and the friendliest of the staff really gave you a peace of mind.
- Jul. 03, 2024
Had an odd experience over the Thanksgiving holiday, I lost part of my vison in my lower left eye. C... alled Monday morning and Manny got me right in. Dr. Yin ran some tests and found a retinal tear, got me right to a retinal surgeon within a few hours and the surgeon told me had I gone one more day, they would not have been able to restore the vision in my eye. Thank you Manny and Dr. Yin for saving my left eye!
- Jun. 26, 2024
They are always pleasant, thorough and helpful.
- Jun. 21, 2024
Love this place. The eye Dr. was awesome. Staff very professional. They let me know what my insur... ance was covering with each exam, even when purchasing glasses. Great selection of glasses too. My blue Calvin Klein frames were only $30. 5 stars!!!!
- Jun. 18, 2024
Very friendly environment Dr Tiffany Yin and staff very professional and answered all my concerns
- Jun. 17, 2024
I got my eye exam and eye glasses here. Doctor Elizabeth Pham is very friendly and professional. Sa... rah, the eye glass associate that helped me was very helpful and attentive. I am excited to get my new glasses from here.
- Jun. 14, 2024
(Translated by Google) Excellent place, very good attention (Original) Exelente lugar muy buena att... ention
- Jun. 14, 2024
All the staff is very helpful, attentive and nice.
- Jun. 03, 2024
Excellent customer service as soon as you walk-in, to the second you leave! My son’s glasses were ... in super quick and the eyeglass technician was very knowledgeable and friendly while helping us pick out his new glasses and during adjusting/fitting when picking up the new glasses. Great experience, thank you!

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Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis & Treatment in Garland

Our optometry practice in Garland

Photograph of Tiffany  Yin
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Tuesday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Thursday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • Medicare
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  • Aetna
  • Spectera
  • Medicaid
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  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Blue Cross
  • MetLife

blood sugaer level testing kit

Have diabetes?

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.

(972) 496-2020