Laser Eye Surgery - Ohio - Greater Ohio Eye Surgeons, Inc.

Diabetic Eye Care

DIABETES disrupts the body's efforts to use and store sugar...causing devastating side effects such as heart disease, kidney failure and blindness. Elevated blood sugar levels, changes in the body's blood vessels, increased thirst, urination and fluctuating vision occur early in the disease. In fact, the first symptom some patients notice are vision problems. And the first recognition of diabetes may be during a routine eye exam.

Fluctuating vision is a key signal to diabetic eye disease which occurs due to changes in blood vessels in the back of the eye. Left untreated, diabetic eye disease, called diabetic retinopathy, can lead to severe vision loss and blindness. In fact, it's the leading cause of blindness among adults under the age of 65. Approximately 25% of current diabetics have some form of eye disease and the risk of blindness increases with age of the diabetic patient. It is estimated that 90% of diabetics may experience some form of diabetic eye disease over the course of their lifetime.

While there is no known cure for diabetes, it can usually be controlled under a physician's care through proper diet, regular exercise and medication. And diabetic eye disease can be treated BEFORE vision loss occurs IF a dilated eye exam is performed at least once a year.

Amazingly, many diabetic patients have never seen an eye doctor which puts them at severe risk of blinding eye disease. The "lucky" ones have problems with their vision early...causing a visit to the eye doctor...and sight-saving treatment.

Without vision changes, many diabetics believe their eyes are healthy. But diabetic eye disease often occurs without symptoms until the disease becomes severe and permanent, and irreversible damage has occurred.

Our doctors treat diabetic eye disease with laser surgery in the office. The laser is aimed at the back of the eye to seal leaking blood vessels and halt new blood vessel growth. Finding and treating disease early, before it causes vision loss, is the ONLY way to control diabetic eye disease.