Retinopathy

November is Diabetic Awareness Month:

A medical indication for an eye exam should be done where medical eye care is performed when ordered by your eye doctor.  An office provides medical eye care if it accepts medical insurance.  4Sight iCare is constantly adding new insurance panels; please call 815-915-4047 to get the latest information.

Retinopathy predates diagnosis by up to 6 years in over 20% of type 2 diabetics.  Preventative eye care (photography of the vasculature and retina tissue) can save vision and detect systemic disease early, empowering Primary Care Physicians to manage care without medication.  Discovering conditions before they reach advanced stages of retinopathy not only saves vision, but can prompt wellness plans that improve quality of life.

Micro-Aneurysms in early Diabetic Retinopathy.

What is Retinopathy & how is it detected?

Disease of the seeing cells present as blood outside the vessels, cell death, and vascular changes.  This is best detected with preventative care: visual field screening, dilated examination, and the best is yearly fundus photography.

Who is at Risk?

Anyone can develop retinopathy, but the populations most at risk are those who have a systemic disease known to cause retinopathy: hypertension and diabetes.  If diagnosed with high blood pressure or diabetes mellitus you NEED a medical eye exam annually, perhaps more often.

What are some of the symptoms of retinopathy?

Unfortunately, there’s no pain and no outwardly visible signs of retinopathy.  The only noticeable symptom comes with advanced disease: blindness.