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Choosing The Right Pair Of Glasses

Have you ever stopped to think about how your glasses make you look? Although I have worn glasses and contacts for years, it was only a few months ago that I started to evaluate their impact on my appearance. I saw a few pictures of myself that I didn't particularly enjoy, and it was then that I decided to meet with a fashion consultant to discuss my looks. I learned a lot from those meetings, and I can't even begin to tell you how much of a difference my stylist made on my self esteem. My blog is here to help you to choose glasses that will make you feel powerful, beautiful, and professional, so that you can enjoy your life.

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Choosing The Right Pair Of Glasses

Diabetic Retinopathy: Can You Keep Your Vision From Failing?

by Lisa Perkins

If you suffer from high blood sugar or diabetes, you may use insulin or another type of medication to manage your health. You may also eat right to lower your blood sugar levels. But if you suddenly experience problems with your vision, such as floaters and cobweb-like structures, see an optometrist immediately. You may have diabetic retinopathy. Learn more about diabetic retinopathy and why you need to consult an optometrist about it below.

What Exactly Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

People who suffer from diabetes of any type or kind may become susceptible to diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the blood sugar levels in your blood become high enough to change the blood vessels in your retinas. Because diabetic retinopathy doesn't always show symptoms once it begins, the condition can silently become severe enough to cause vision loss.

Each eye contains a light-receiving tissue called the retina. The retina directs light to the back of your eye. The back of your eye contains a large sensory nerve called the optic nerve, which controls your central vision and your ability to see images in fine detail. If the retina becomes damaged, your central vision will become compromised. 

Diabetes damages the retina by blocking its blood supply. The blocked vessels eventually leak blood into the back of your eye. In order to compensate for the loss of healthy blood vessels, your retina makes extra blood vessels. The extra blood vessels will also bleed or leak into the back of your eye. 

Diabetes retinopathy doesn't heal by itself. Without prompt eye treatment, diabetic retinopathy can cause permanent blindness. 

How Can an Optometrist Treat Retinopathy?

An optometrist may need more information from you and your doctor before they treat your vision problems. Although all diabetes conditions can cause diabetic retinopathy, it's important to know which type of diabetes you fall under. The type of medications you take for your diabetes may affect how well your eye treatments work for your vision problem.

After an optometrist learns more about your diabetes, they can move ahead with your eye treatments. If your diabetic retinopathy is in the earliest stages, an eye doctor will simply monitor your vision with periodic comprehensive eye exams. The exams may be two to four months apart, depending on the optometrist you choose for treatment. 

In addition, an optometrist may need to refer or send you to an ophthalmologist for additional care. An ophthalmologist can surgically repair the blood vessels and retinas in your eyes if they need to do so. An optometrist will inform you about eye surgery during your initial exam.

You can find the information you need about diabetic retinopathy and vision loss by contacting an eye doctor today. 

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