Preventative Eye Care for People With Diabetes

Diabetes poses a significant sight risk to millions of Americans. If you have diabetes, you should take extra precautions to preserve your vision and ocular health.

Having diabetes raises your risk for ocular conditions and diseases like cataracts and glaucoma. It can also lead to diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. Many diabetic eye diseases don’t show symptoms until they significantly threaten vision, so patients with diabetes should rely on eye exams to detect these conditions as quickly as possible.

Do you need an eye exam? Contact us today and book your next appointment.

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What Eye Diseases Are Linked to Diabetes?

Diabetic Retinopathy & Diabetic Macular Edema

High blood sugar can damage the blood vessels connected to your retina, causing diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy can cause irreversible vision loss and is the most common cause of vision loss for people with diabetes.

Severe, untreated diabetic retinopathy can cause swelling in the macula, which controls central vision. This condition, called diabetic macular edema, can permanently affect those tasks that depend on central vision—such as driving, reading, and facial recognition.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a type of disease that occurs when the optic nerve is damaged, usually by high pressure inside the eye. Adults with diabetes have twice as much risk for open-angle glaucoma as those without it.

Other types of glaucoma include angle-closure, secondary, and congenital (childhood). The majority of glaucoma cases show no obvious symptoms before causing permanent vision loss and can lead to blindness if left unmanaged.

Cataracts

Cataracts form when the eye’s lens becomes cloudy, gradually impairing vision. Cataracts commonly appear as people age but are more likely to develop earlier in life for people with diabetes.

Cataract surgery can successfully remove cataracts in many cases. During cataract surgery, the lens with cataracts is typically replaced with an artificial one to restore clear vision.

How Often Should People With Diabetes Have Eye Exams?

We recommend yearly eye exams for our patients with diabetes to detect early warning signs of diabetic eye diseases and other related issues. The sooner we diagnose these problems, the better our odds of treating them or controlling their effects will be.

In some cases, an eye exam can also detect diabetes in people who haven’t yet been diagnosed with it. We suggest regular comprehensive eye exams for everyone to promote strong, stable vision and ocular health.

Need your eyes examined? Book an appointment with us today.

Our Location in San Diego

Our Address

12880 Carmel Country Rd D110
San Diego, CA 92130

Contact Information

Phone: 858-289-4820
Email: [email protected]

Our Hours

Monday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

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Our Eye Care Services

Digital Eye Strain

In a digital world, we need the right resources to ensure our eyes stay healthy and comfortable. Whether you spend your days working from a laptop or enjoy winding down in the evening in front of the TV, knowing how to give your eyes a much-needed break can keep you seeing and feeling great!

Laser Eye Surgery Consultation

If you’ve worn contact lenses or glasses for the majority of your life, you’ve probably heard of how laser eye surgery can improve your vision! We offer comprehensive consultations so you can find the answers you need. Plus, we’ll be sure to provide excellent patient care to give you the comfort of knowing your health and vision are well taken care of.

Dry Eye Therapy

Dry eyes can be uncomfortable and may even prevent you from doing your favorite activities, but it doesn’t have to stay that way! If your eyes are feeling dry and gritty, we can help. At Optique Del Mar, we provide top-quality dry eye therapy to keep your eyes feeling lubricated!

Emergency Eye Exams

Emergencies can happen anywhere, anytime. That’s why we purposely leave room in our schedules to accommodate eye emergencies that can arise! If you’re experiencing an eye emergency, please don’t hesitate to give our office a call or head to your nearest emergency room.