It takes less than an hour and is very safe and effective. Most people notice immediate improvements in their vision after cataract surgery. 

Keep reading to learn more about what to expect during your appointment for cataract surgery!

What Happens Before Cataract Surgery?

Cataract surgery is typically done on one eye at a time, even if both eyes have cataracts. This is so you won’t have both eyes recovering from cataract surgery at the same time.

If you need cataract surgery on both eyes, you will schedule the second procedure a few weeks after the first. Your eye doctor will also give you special eye drops to numb your eye before the procedure.

What Happens During The Cataract Surgery Procedure?

During cataract surgery, your eye doctor will use specialized tools to make an incision in your eye and break up the cloudy lens with the cataracts on it. They will then carefully remove the lens and place a clear, artificial lens into the pouch that holds the natural lens.

Once the new lens is in place, the procedure is finished. There is no need for stitches to close the initial incision.

The whole process will take about thirty minutes. 

What Happens After Cataract Surgery?

Immediately after cataract surgery, your eye may still be numb from the drops. Your eye doctor will have you stay in the office for a short period of time to ensure your eye doesn’t swell or increase in pressure.

Once you’re ready to go home, you will need someone else to drive you. 

You will also need to wear an eye shield for the first day and overnight for as long as your doctor says you should.

This will prevent you from rubbing your eye in your sleep. Your eye may feel slightly sore, itchy, or gritty. 

It may look red, and you may notice it tearing more than usual. This is perfectly normal and will resolve in a day or so.

Your eye doctor will give you drops to prevent infection. It’s important to use these eye drops as directed. 

You will return for a follow-up appointment the day after your cataract surgery. Your eye doctor will check how your eye is healing and give you any additional instructions for taking care of it.

When to Call Your Eye Doctor

There is a chance you could develop complications, including infection, after cataract surgery. You should call your eye doctor immediately if you notice symptoms such as:

• Vision loss
• Persistent pain that doesn’t get better with over-the-counter pain medicine
• Pain that gets worse over time
• Increasing redness
• Discharge
• Swelling
• New flashes or floaters

These symptoms may be signs of infection or a problem with the incision. Your eye doctor can examine you and give you appropriate treatment if complications occur.

Do you have cataracts and think it’s time to discuss care surgery? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today! 

The post What Happens on the Day of Cataract Surgery? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

LASIK is a safe and effective vision correction procedure that can allow you to experience greater visual freedom for many years. Keep reading to learn more about LASIK and to find out whether it is permanent!

How Does LASIK Work?

LASIK is a procedure that can correct refractive errors, which cause blurry vision due to the natural shape of your eye or cornea. The cornea is the clear structure at the front of the eye that acts as the window to the eye and helps focus light onto the retina. 

When the cornea is irregularly shaped, or when the eye is too short or too long, it causes a refractive error like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. During a LASIK procedure, your eye doctor uses specialized lasers to reshape the cornea. 

The reshaping is a permanent change to the structure of your cornea. After LASIK, the new shape of your cornea will help refract the light to land directly on the retina to produce clear vision and reduce your need for visual aids.

Can Your Vision Change After LASIK?

LASIK only corrects the refraction errors present in your eye at the time of the procedure. It cannot prevent any changes to your eyes or your vision that may occur due to the development of other eye conditions in the future. 

Over time, you may develop vision changes unrelated to your LASIK procedure. One of the most common vision changes that occurs later in life is presbyopia. 

Presbyopia is age-related and causes changes to the lens of the eye. The lens grows less flexible and starts to affect your close-up vision. 

You may find that you need reading glasses for activities like reading or working on a computer. Another common issue that occurs with age is cataracts. 

Like presbyopia, cataracts affect the lens of the eye. Cataracts cause clouding of the lens, which gradually spreads and affects vision. 

Cataracts can lead to blurry or hazy vision, dulling of colors, and reduced night vision. Although LASIK can permamently correct your refractive error, it doesn’t mean you will not experience blurry vision later in life due to other eye conditions.

Additionally, you may need a LASIK touch-up at a later point to ensure your vision is at its best.

What If I Get LASIK Too Young?

One of the reasons that LASIK is so successful is that eye doctors work closely with patients to make sure LASIK is the right procedure for them. One of the criteria eye doctors look at is your age and how stable your vision is.

Your eyes continue to change into early adulthood. This is why your glasses prescription may change often during childhood and teenage years. 

Most people’s vision becomes more stable after the age of twenty-one. Getting LASIK before your eyes have matured and your prescription has stabilized increases the risk of vision changing after the procedure.

Ensuring that you are a good candidate for LASIK will give you the best chance of seeing permanent results from the procedure.

Do you want to learn more about LASIK and find out if it’s the right laser vision correction procedure for you? Schedule a LASIK consultation at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post Is LASIK Permanent? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

Your eye doctor can check for changes in your vision, assess the health of your eyes, and give you important information about how to protect your eyes for a lifetime of good vision. Keep reading to learn about five signs that you are due to a visit to the eye doctor!

1. You Can’t Remember When Last Had an Eye Exam

If you aren’t sure when or if you had your eyes checked, you may be due for a routine eye exam. If you’re under the age of sixty-five and don’t have risk factors for eye conditions, you should see an eye doctor at least every two years. 

If you wear glasses or you’re at risk for conditions like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, or macular degeneration, you should visit the eye doctor once a year.

2. You’ve Noticed Vision Changes

Vision changes, such as squinting to see objects at a distance, needing to hold printed materials at arm’s length to read, or finding the proper distance to see your computer screen, are signs you need to get your vision checked. 

If you already wear glasses or contacts, it can be a sign that you need adjustments to your prescription. If you have never worn glasses before, it could be time to start. 

Many adults over forty develop vision changes that require reading glasses. 

3. Difficulty Seeing at Night

Reduced night vision can be a normal part of aging. It can also be an early symptom of more serious eye conditions such as cataracts or macular degeneration. 

If you notice that you don’t see well in low light, you should visit your eye doctor. They can check for any eye conditions and get you on appropriate treatment as soon as possible. 

4. Frequent Headaches

If you have frequent headaches, you should get your eyes examined. Headaches may be the result of eye strain. 

A prescription for glasses or contacts could be the solution to frequent headaches. Headaches are also signs of more serious eye conditions, such as glaucoma or infection, which require prompt treatment. 

Headaches can also be caused by problems with how your eyes work together. These are called binocular vision issues and include binocular vision, including amblyopia or convergence insufficiency. 

A prescription for special glasses can help correct these vision problems. 

5. Pain or Other Symptoms

If you are noticing any kind of eye pain or unusual symptoms in your eyes, you should see an eye doctor right away. Unusual symptoms include:

• Draining or redness in one or both eyes
• Double vision
• Floaters 
• New light sensitivity
• New circles or halos around lights
• Flashes of light

Pain or new, unexplained changes to your vision could be the result of an injury or underlying eye condition. It’s important to see an eye doctor to get treatment and protect your eyes from long-term vision loss. 

Do you want to learn more about taking care of your eyes? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post 5 Signs You Should Visit Your Eye Doctor appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

Keep reading to learn more about LASIK, including how long it will take to have the procedure and experience the vision results!

What Happens During a LASIK Consultation?

Before your LASIK procedure, you will need to see your eye doctor for a LASIK evaluation. Your eye doctor may ask you to stop wearing contacts for a period of time before the evaluation.

Contacts can affect the shape of your cornea, and your eye doctor will need to be able to measure the corneas without distortion from contacts. During the evaluation, your eye doctor will discuss your medical history and your goals for surgery with you.

Then, they will examine your eyes and determine what changes they will need to make to your cornea during surgery. The process may involve taking scans and measurements of your eyes.

The whole appointment will take one or two hours to complete. After the full evaluation, your eye doctor will inform you whether or not you are a good candidate for LASIK.

If you are, you will be able to schedule your procedure!

What Happens During the LASIK Procedure?

On the day of your procedure, you should plan to spend several hours at the eye doctor’s office. You will not be able to drive yourself home, so you need to arrange a ride home in advance.

You will need to arrive before your procedure time to finish any paperwork and get checked in for your appointment. When it’s time to begin the LASIK process, you will be taken to a procedure room.

Medical staff will place numbing drops in your eyes, and your eye doctor will place a special instrument to hold your eyelids open. After this preparation, your LASIK surgeon will begin the LASIK procedure.

First, they will make a flap on the surface of your cornea, the clear dome-like structure at the front of the eye, in order to reach the inner layers. Next, They’ll use a laser to reshape the cornea to correct your refractive error and improve your vision.

That process is very quick, taking about five to ten minutes per eye or less. However, expect to be at the surgery center for a couple of hours on the day of your procedure to account for pre- and post-operation.

What Happens After the LASIK Procedure?

Once the procedure is finished, your eye doctor will tell you how to care for your eyes over the next several days. You may need to wear an eye shield to protect your eyes while you sleep.

In addition, your eye doctor may give you medication for pain and to reduce the risk of infection. Once you have everything you need to care for your eyes, you can go home.

You will need to come for a follow-up visit a day or two after the procedure. Your eye doctor will check to see how your eyes are healing and give you any additional instructions for your recovery.

Plan to return for additional appointments where your eye doctor can check your eyes and see how your vision is improving. Full recovery from LASIK can vary from person to person.

However, you can expect to notice improvements in your vision within the first week or two after the procedure. Most people are healed from LASIK within three to six months.

Are you interested in learning more about LASIK and whether it is right for you? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Hillsboro, OR, today!

The post Is LASIK a Long Procedure? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

RLE is an effective procedure that can improve vision and reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contacts. Keep reading to learn more about refractive lens exchange, including whether or not it is safe!

What is Refractive Lens Exchange? 

Refractive lens exchange is a surgical procedure to replace your eye’s natural lens with an artificial lens. The type of lens used for RLE is called an intraocular lens IOL. 

The IOL has a vision correction prescription customized to correct your vision, just like a contact lens or glasses lens. RLE surgery treats a variety of vision issues, including:

• Nearsightedness
• Farsightedness
• Age-related farsightedness (presbyopia)
• Astigmatism

There are many different types of IOLs. Your eye doctor can help you decide which type of IOL is most appropriate for you based on your vision goals and lifestyle.

What Happens During Refractive Lens Exchange? 

RLE surgery uses the exact same techniques as cataract surgery. It’s one of the most common and safest surgical procedures in the United States.

It’s performed in your eye doctor’s office, and you will be awake the whole time. The procedure only takes about fifteen to thirty minutes. 

Your eye doctor will use eye drops to numb the surface of your eye to ensure you are comfortable. After that, your eye doctor makes a small incision on the surface of the eye. 

They use special tools to break up and remove the natural lens. Using the same incision, they place the artificial lens in your eye and settle it into the proper position. 

Full recovery takes about eight weeks, but most people can return to normal activities sooner than that. Many people notice improved vision within days of the procedure. 

What are the Benefits of Refractive Lens Exchange? 

There are a lot of benefits to RLE surgery for vision correction, including:

• Can treat a variety of refractive errors
• Reduces or eliminates the need for glasses
• It prevents cataracts since cataracts only form on natural lenses, not IOLs

RLE surgery, like cataract surgery, is considered very safe. As with any surgery, there is a risk of complications, including infection. 

However, most side effects are minor, like soreness and swelling. They usually get better within a few days. 

How Do I Know if Refractive Lens Exchange is Right For Me?

RLE is a good option for people who are not candidates for LASIK or other corneal refractive surgeries. RLE is not recommended for people who have macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, corneal disease, or risk factors for retinal detachment.

It is also important that you are not pregnant or breastfeeding and that you are in good general health. The best way to know whether or not you may be a candidate for RLE is to visit your eye doctor at EyeHealth Northwest for a full evaluation.

Do you want to learn if you are a candidate for RLE? Schedule an appointment at Eyehealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post Is the Refractive Lens Exchange Surgery Safe? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

There’s no way to predict when cataracts will become a problem, but when they do, there is treatment to correct them. Keep reading to learn more about cataracts, including which age range cataracts are most common!

What Are Cataracts? 

Cataracts are a clouding on the lens of your eye. The lens is a disc of clear tissue that sits behind the iris, which is the colored part of the eye.

When cataracts develop, the clouding blocks light from passing through the lens and causes blurry vision. Cataracts can develop in one or both eyes. 

They may start very small and not cause noticeable vision changes. As the clouding spreads, vision will become more blurry. 

Most cataracts are age-related. You can also develop cataracts as a side effect of other health conditions such as diabetes, use of certain medications like steroids, or as the result of an injury to the eye. 

What Age Will I Begin to Develop Cataracts? 

There is no set age when cataracts start to develop. Most people who have age-related cataracts tend to develop them between the ages of forty and fifty, but cataracts can show up earlier or later. 

If you have close family members who have developed age-related cataracts, you can ask them about their experience and when they were diagnosed. That may give you some idea of your own risk and when to start looking for symptoms. 

What Are The Symptoms of Cataracts? 

In the beginning stages, cataracts may not cause any symptoms. You may only know you have them after your eye doctor notices them during a routine eye exam.

Over time, the clouding on the lens may increase, and you may notice changes in your vision, such as:

• Cloudy or blurry vision
• Distortion of vision
• Double vision
• Feeling like lights are too bright 
• Light appears to give off a glare or a halo
• Colors appear faded
• Poor night vision
• Increased nearsightedness
• Frequent changes to eyeglass prescriptions

How Do I Know if I Have Cataracts? 

Since many of the symptoms of cataracts can have other causes, you should see an eye doctor to confirm that you have cataracts. Your eye doctor will ask you about any symptoms, ask about a family history of cataracts, and perform an eye exam. 

The exam will include tests of visual acuity. In addition, the ophthalmologist will use special eye drops to dilate your pupils. 

This allows the eye doctor to see the inner parts of the eye, including spotting any cataracts that may be present. Since pupil dilation is part of routine eye exams, your eye doctor may notice cataracts before they cause any symptoms.  

How Are Cataracts Treated?

If cataracts aren’t affecting your vision, there is nothing you need to do. Over time, the cataracts may cause minor vision changes that can be corrected with glasses or contacts.

Using a magnifying glass or brighter lighting for certain tasks may also help. For many people with advanced cataracts, cataract surgery is the best option. 

Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure, and it’s very safe and effective. During cataract surgery, your eye doctor will give you eye drops to numb your eye. 

You may also want medication to help you relax during the procedure. Using special instruments, your ophthalmologist will remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a clear, artificial lens. 

Most people experience a noticeable improvement in their vision after cataract surgery. However, for some, it may take a few days to weeks to witness the full potential of their new vision.

Are you experiencing symptoms you think may be related to cataracts? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post What Age Range Are Cataracts Most Common? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

If you have difficulty performing normal tasks, or you’re finding that your enjoyment of life is compromised, it may be time for cataract surgery. Keep reading to learn more about how to know when it’s time for cataract surgery!

What Are Cataracts?

Cataracts are cloudy areas that develop in the natural lens of your eye as you age. During cataract surgery, your cataract surgeon removes this cloudy lens and replaces it with an artificial one to restore vision.

Since cataracts are a natural part of the aging process within the eye, everyone will develop them eventually.

What Are the Symptoms of Cataracts?

If you experience the following symptoms, you may be developing cataracts.

Blurry vision 

Blurry vision is one of the most common early symptoms of cataracts. This blurriness can show up in a few different ways:

• You may notice cloudy or hazy spots in your field of vision, almost like looking through foggy glass. These blurred patches often start small but gradually expand.
• You might struggle to see things clearly at a distance after reading or doing close-up work. When you look up from a book or computer screen, distant objects can appear unfocused or fuzzy.
• Overall clarity may decrease, so things at any distance look less sharp and detailed than they used to. It’s as if someone turned down the resolution on your eyesight.

This increasing lack of focus is caused by the cloudy cataract partially blocking light from entering your eye and disrupting your ability to see sharply. If blurry vision is getting in the way of your daily activities, be sure to discuss it with your eye doctor.

Double vision 

As cataracts worsen, you may notice double vision or see overlapping ghost-like images. This can occur when reading text, watching screens, or doing tasks requiring focus.

One eye’s vision often becomes weaker than the other. To avoid the doubling effect, you may unconsciously begin closing or covering your weaker eye. 

But this doubling is a sign cataracts are disrupting sharp focus. If persistent, discuss treatment options with your eye doctor.

Glare and Light Sensitivity

Cataracts can cause increased glare and light sensitivity, especially at night. Oncoming headlights while driving may create a blinding glare or rainbow haloes, making it hard to see clearly again. 

The edges of streetlamps often flare into starbursts instead of sharp lines. Entering daylight after being in the dark may be more jarring. 

Overall, bright lights at night tend to create more glare and reflections rather than illuminating your vision. Coping with disabling glare is a clue cataracts may be advancing.

Difficulty Seeing in Dim Lighting

As cataracts progress, you may notice increasing difficulty seeing in dim lighting. Tasks like reading a menu in a dark restaurant or making out a book’s words in a shadowy room become challenging without added light. 

You might need to use your phone’s flashlight just to see clearly. Cataracts prevent your eyes from adjusting well to low light levels. 

If you’re relying on bright direct lighting more often, it could signify cataracts are reducing your ability to see in dim conditions.

Faded Colors

The world may not look as bright as you remember. Colors appear faded, or everything has a yellowish tint. 

Quality of Life Matters

While you may adapt to some mild vision changes from cataracts, pay attention if they start impacting your quality of life. Ask yourself – are cataracts preventing you from fully participating in activities you enjoy?

Are you less independent in your daily routines or avoiding certain tasks? Have mishaps or frustrations from blurry vision become more common? 

If cataracts are noticeably reducing your ability to live life to the fullest, it’s time to discuss surgery options with your eye doctor. 

Are you experiencing symptoms of cataracts? Schedule a cataract evaluation at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post How Do I Know When It’s Time for Cataract Surgery? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

Keep reading to learn the real value of premium IOLs and why it’s worth the price to achieve your best vision!

What is an IOL?

When it’s time for cataract surgery, IOL is the first unfamiliar term you may hear. An IOL is an intraocular lens, an artificial lens that is implanted in your eye after the cloudy natural lens of your eye is removed during cataract surgery.

If you’ve been scheduled for cataract surgery, your insurance likely covers the cost of basic single-vision IOLs. These standard lenses are typically implanted for those who want the cheapest option and don’t mind wearing glasses after the procedure. 

They are monofocal, which means they’ll provide you with vision at a specific range, usually distance viewing. To see up close, you’ll need to wear glasses.

If you’re used to wearing glasses, and it doesn’t bother you, a standard monofocal IOL may be enough.

What is a Premium IOL?

There are many IOL choices that can take into account the unique characteristics of your eye and your vision needs and allow you to experience greater visual freedom. These are premium IOLs. 

They cost a bit more, but the benefits they offer can reduce your reliance on glasses. Here are some of the types of premium IOLs:

Monofocal Wavefront lens

Using a computer model of the eye, Wavefront reflects the most recent development in cataract lens technology. It’s a single-distance lens that offers you the same sharpness as glasses due to its more sophisticated shape. 

After cataract surgery, you’ll enjoy clear distance vision but will still need to wear glasses for close-up work.

Toric lens

The blurriness associated with astigmatism can be corrected by a toric lens. It will provide distance vision with the clarity you’ve been missing. Glasses for close vision will still be necessary.

Multifocal lens

A multifocal lens will give you clear, sharp vision viewing at distant and intermediate ranges and functional close-up vision in good light. This premium IOL provides a wide variety of focal lengths; thus, it’s called a multifocal lens. 

Most patients who choose a multifocal lens will be able to see distant objects and items up close. With a multifocal IOL, most people are able to watch television, drive, read, or do handwork such as knitting or crocheting without glasses.

Extended Depth of Focus lens

This premium IOL offers an elongated focal point, which can allow you to have sharp vision for both distance and intermediate viewing. You should be able to type on a laptop or read the screen of a device comfortably in good lighting situations. 

Light Adjustable Lens

This innovative lens contains a light-responsive material that allows the lens power to be customized to your individual needs after cataract surgery. After your eye has healed from the initial cataract procedure, you and your surgeon can fine-tune your vision by applying targeted ultraviolet light to the implanted lens.

The process allows you to preview the effects and work with your eye doctor to achieve optimal vision tailored to your lifestyle.

To determine the best lens that’s right for you, it’s important to tell your eye doctor what your expectations are and what the priorities are for your vision goals. By stating what your needs are, you’ll be matched with a premium lens that suits you and your lifestyle.

It’s an investment in your visual independence, and worth it for your best post-cataract-surgery life.

Are you interested in learning more about premium IOLs? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!

The post The Real Value of Premium IOLs and Why They’re Worth It appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

Early detection is always the best form of defense against disease. This is why your eye doctor does such a thorough and comprehensive eye exam at each visit.

Keep reading to learn what eye doctors test for during your annual eye exam!

What Happens During an Eye Exam?

There are many important tests that happen as a part of an annual eye exam. They are performed to either gauge the clarity of your vision or detect possible eye conditions. 

Some of the most important tests during an eye exam are:

Visual Acuity Testing

This is the test that most people think of as the eye chart test. A standardized chart called a Snellen chart is used at a distance several feet away. 

Visual acuity is usually determined in two ways:

• Uncorrected, meaning that you’ll view the chart without glasses or contacts.
• Best corrected, meaning with the best possible glasses or contact lens prescription.

During the visual acuity test, you’ll cover one eye and read aloud the smallest line of letters you can make out on the chart. At the top of the chart, the size of the letters will be easy to read. 

As you progress, they grow smaller and get more challenging to read. After one eye is tested, that eye is covered so the other eye can be tested. 

This will test your distance vision. You may also be asked to read letters or numbers from a chart held close to your face to test your near vision.

Refraction

For this test, your eye doctor will place a device called a phoropter in front of you, which allows them to place lenses of different strengths in front of your eyes. You’ll look through the lenses and determine which strength lens makes it easiest to read the chart.

The refraction test helps your eye doctor determine the best glasses or contact lens prescription for you. 

Slit Lamp Examination

Using a special magnifying device called a slit lamp, your eye doctor will examine the front part of the eye, including your eyelids, cornea, conjunctiva, sclera, and iris. With this test, they can look for any abnormalities.

Eye Pressure Testing

This is also called tonometry. Higher than normal eye pressure is often an indicator of glaucoma, a serious condition that requires treatment. 

This test is essential to ensure your eye pressure is within the normal range.

Comprehensive Eye Test

Various other tests can help your eye doctor spot early vision problems. Your eye doctor may also test your peripheral vision and your eye muscles.

Using a penlight or other small object, your eye doctor will ask you to follow the light to see if you can look in different directions, which will indicate the functioning of your eye muscles. The penlight is also used to examine your pupils to see if they constrict in response to light. 

Eye drops will also be given to you to dilate your pupils so your eye doctor can look at the back of the eye where the retina is. The retina, nearby blood vessels, and optic nerve will be examined. 

Always Share Information and Voice Concerns

When you see your eye doctor, be sure to share information about your family health history, any concerns or problems you may be experiencing, and any other chronic conditions you may have. Certain medications put you at higher risk of developing certain eye conditions. 

By being open about your overall health, you can help your eye doctor preserve and maintain your good vision.

Is it time for you to have an eye exam? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, Oregon, today!

The post What Does My Eye Doctor Test For At My Annual Eye Exam? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.

If you have diabetes, it’s important to educate yourself about the risks associated with your vision. Keep reading to learn three things to know about diabetic retinopathy!

1. Diabetic Retinopathy Can Cause Vision Loss if Left Untreated

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that affects the retina. The retina, located at the back of the eye, is a light-sensitive tissue. 

When light reaches the retina, it initiates a series of signals that are then transmitted to the brain, where they are transformed into visual images.

Over time, high blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina, causing blockages and cutting off the blood supply.  

Blockages in the blood vessels and reduced blood flow to the retina can be a significant issue. They can weaken the walls of the blood vessels and cause new, abnormal, weak blood vessels to grow.

Tiny bulges form, sometimes leaking fluid and blood into the retina. This blurs and distorts the light signals sent to the brain. 

Spots or dark strings in your vision, blurred or fluctuating vision, and dark or missing spots are all symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. Untreated, these conditions can affect your vision, leading to loss of sight.

2. Diabetic Retinopathy is More Likely to Occur in People With Uncontrolled Blood Sugar

In later stage diabetic retinopathy, new abnormal blood vessels grow to compensate for the damaged blood vessels in the retina. However, these are more likely to leak into the vitreous, the clear, jellylike substance that fills the eye.

Over time, scar tissue forms, which pulls on the retina and can lead to retinal detachment. In some cases, the scar tissue can grow over the drainage channels of the eye. 

This can prevent the normal flow of fluid out of the eye and cause your eye pressure to rise. If the pressure is not reduced, this will eventually damage the optic nerve and affect your vision.

Treatments exist to minimize the impact of diabetic retinopathy, but controlling blood sugar is an essential first step. Proper blood sugar management can slow the progression of the disease.

3. Diabetic Retinopathy Often Requires Treatment

If the eye condition has worsened to the point where you need treatment, various options are available. 

Eye Injections

Anti-VEGF medications can be injected into the vitreous of the eye. This can help prevent the growth of new blood vessels. 

Topical anesthesia is used for these injections, which helps you stay comfortable. You will need to have regular injections to ensure that the eye condition stays under control.

Photocoagulation

Leakage of blood and fluid in the eye can be stopped or slowed by a laser treatment known as photocoagulation or focal laser treatment. The laser is applied to shrink and scar the abnormal blood vessels. 

It can be done during an office visit or as an eye clinic procedure. Blurry vision for a day or two after the laser surgery is common.

While treatments are possible, it’s best to manage diabetes and watch blood sugar levels carefully so these more invasive procedures aren’t required. 

Are you experiencing symptoms of diabetic retinopathy? Schedule an appointment at Eye Health Northwest in Happy Valley, OR, today!

The post Three Things to Know About Diabetic Retinopathy  appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.