Preserve Your Vision With Family Eye Clinic

Diabetic Retinopathy in Midlothian

Preserve Your Vision With Family Eye Clinic

(972) 775-8000

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 Family Eye Clinic 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, Family Eye Clinic in Midlothian 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 Family Eye Clinic in Midlothian 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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- Sep. 17, 2024
Good and polite and helped what needed
- Sep. 16, 2024
Everyone there was friendly and nice. They all did their job well. And when I wasn't completely sati... sfied with the glasses I purchased, they returned with no hassle.
- Sep. 16, 2024
The young lady that helped me was very kind and considerate..
- Sep. 14, 2024
First time to see Dr. Pollard and she was great along with her staff. Highly recommend!!
- Aug. 28, 2024
Great service very thorough
- Aug. 15, 2024
Compassionate and kind front office staff is the reason I’m a lifelong patient!!!! They’ll move ... mountains for their patients!!! Compassionate Jessica offered to stay late just so I could pick up trial contacts until my order came in. They truly make their patients feel like family and certainly a VIP! Thank you for all you do!
- Aug. 09, 2024
Professional and friendly staff. I was impressed with the thoroughness of the medical exam and Dr B... ullard’s answers to my questions and concerns. I definitely recommend this medical practice.
- Aug. 04, 2024
This is a great place for eye exams including non-routine exams. Great staff!
- Aug. 01, 2024
My son got his eye exam in a timely manner and was able to get a referral for insurance purposes
- Jun. 27, 2024
Love this place ,I drove a hour just for my eye care needs !!!!
- May. 11, 2024
Dr. Nguyen is very knowledgeable and very kind! Very nice office as well...We will be back!
- Apr. 25, 2024
Great experience. The staff were super friendly. I was seen on time. The processes were all explaine... d to me. The Dr. explained my screening and options very well. He was easy to talk to and seemed very patient. I rarely write reviews but Family Eye Clinic in Midlothian earned it! Thanks so much.
- Feb. 15, 2024
This was my first visit. I was seen by Dr. Nhat Nguyen and many other assistants and office staff. ... Each and everyone was so very kind, helpful and very knowledgeable. I do have eye issues and I feel 100% confident in Dr. Nguyen and his assistants for my eye care.
- Dec. 18, 2023
Great customer service. Will definitely come back everyone was so nice.
- Aug. 12, 2023
This was my first experience visiting an American eye clinic and I couldn't be more satisfied and su... re that I found the right place. It seems like this business has a bunch of hard-working staff members, and they were all ready to help the moment we walked through those doors. Although I found all staff members that I met today great, I've come to leave a review about one staff member in particular. As a business owner, I appreciate the work ethic and someone that just goes above and beyond. You have a staff member who deserves the reconniction and praise. Skyler the optition tech whom led me and my husband through our eye testing today was a absolute pleasure to work with. she made this first visit probably one of the most enjoyable “medical” visits I’ve ever had, and because of this me and my husband will purchase through this practice. Your business is lucky to have such a knowledgable hard worker and I look forward to now being part of The Family Eye Clinic because of the experience with especially her but so many other great workers on your team. Thank you
- Aug. 03, 2023
Today was our first visit and eye exams with Family Eye Care. Dr. Nhat Nguyen was awesome! He took t... ime to listen and was very thorough explaining everything to us. We then went to meet the Optician Taylor and she was very knowledgeable and gave us the best service. From the check in to check out they were all so friendly. We will definitely be using them from now on.
- Jul. 11, 2023
Had my first comprehensive eye exam in years and went to Family Eye Clinic for the first time. Dr.Pa... tel was really friendly and knowledgeable on helping me understand the overall health of my vision.
- Jun. 07, 2023
My first time at Family eye. My experience with Dr. Patel's Care was beyond my belief. She took time... to explain things and did a thorough eye exam..She is very nice and you can tell she truly cares about her patients. I would highly recommend her. My wait time in both the waiting room and the exam room was short, especially for having a same day scheduled appointment! Not to mention how great the service was. The staff provided excellent professional and courteous care.
- Jun. 06, 2023
Today was our first visit to the office, and we will return. We checked in using their mobile link a... nd had no additional paperwork to complete when we got into the office. Shortly after arriving, we were taken into the back by Tatum, Shelby, and Celeste, who provided exceptional medical work-ups. These ladies explained everything clearly and ensured our questions were answered before Dr. Chaaban entered the room. Dr. Chaaban was patient with my daughters and talked to them about their histories. This allowed them to play active roles in their care and placed them accountable. After the visit, Lisa helped my daughter pick the perfect pair of glasses and assisted in getting the best price for the glasses. Thank you the way you treated our family!
- May. 10, 2023
It was easy to make an appointment and get in to see the doctor. They were very helpful picking out ... a frame for my face shape. I also clearly stated what my budget was and they helped me stay within it

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Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis & Treatment in Midlothian

Our optometry practice in Midlothian

Photograph of Heath  Bullard
Hours
  • Monday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
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  • Humana
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  • Scott & White Healthcare
  • Railroad Medicare Beneficiaries
  • TriWest

blood sugaer level testing kit

Have diabetes?

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.

(972) 775-8000