woman dealing with loss of vision due to diabetic retinopathy

Advanced
Eye care

Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes (both Type 1 and Type 2) that affects the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, known as the retina. The retina is essential for clear vision, and sustained high blood sugar levels can damage these vessels, causing them to leak fluid, bleed, or even form abnormal new vessels.

Like other diabetes-related vision complications, diabetic retinopathy often shows no noticeable symptoms in the earliest stages. Detect and treat diabetic retinopathy early with advanced care from Ashburn Vision Source. Without routine, specialized screening, you may not realize you have the condition until significant, irreversible damage has occurred.

Schedule Appointment

Understand Your Risk

Anyone with diabetes is at risk. Your risk level increases based on:

Duration of Diabetes: The longer you have diabetes, the higher the risk
Poor Blood Sugar Control (A1C): Fluctuating or consistently high blood glucose levels are the most significant factor
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
High Cholesterol

Specialized Diagnostics

A thorough exam is crucial for early detection. Our Ashburn eye care center uses state-of-the-art diagnostic tools, including:

Dilated Eye Exams: Essential for allowing a clear view of the entire retina and optic nerve to check for microaneurysms, leakage, and swelling.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): This non-invasive imaging test provides detailed, cross-sectional images of the retina, allowing us to accurately measure swelling caused by diabetic macular edema.

Treatment Options

The primary goal of diabetic retinopathy treatment is to stop blood vessel leakage, reduce swelling, and prevent the growth of abnormal vessels.

Diabetes Control: The most important treatment is strictly managing your blood sugar (A1C), blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Medications (Injections): Anti-VEGF medications are often injected into the eye to halt the growth of new blood vessels and decrease fluid leakage. Steroid injections may also be used to reduce inflammation.
Laser Treatment (Photocoagulation): Focused laser light can be used to seal leaking vessels and halt the growth of abnormal new vessels.
Surgery (Vitrectomy): For advanced PDR or complications like severe bleeding or retinal detachment, a surgical procedure may be required to remove scar tissue and blood from the eye.

Don't risk your sight—early intervention is key to preventing permanent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes, schedule your essential comprehensive diabetic eye exam at Ashburn Vision Source today to protect your vision.