Diabetic Eye Diseases
If you’re living with diabetes, protecting your vision should be a major part of your care plan. Diabetic eye diseases are a group of conditions that can threaten eyesight, often without early symptoms. At Caruana Eye Care in Oakland Park, Florida, Dr. Albert Caruana helps patients stay ahead of these complications through proactive screening, early intervention, and personalized treatment.
What Are Diabetic Eye Diseases?
Diabetes can damage blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the eyes. The most common condition associated with this damage is diabetic retinopathy, which affects the retina, the part of the eye responsible for detecting light and sending images to the brain. Over time, high blood sugar levels can weaken or block retinal blood vessels, leading to leakage, swelling, or the growth of abnormal vessels.
Other conditions linked to diabetes include diabetic macular edema (DME), which causes swelling in the central part of the retina (the macula), as well as a higher risk of developing cataracts and glaucoma earlier in life.
Symptoms Are Often Silent, Until They’re Not
One of the most concerning aspects of diabetic eye disease is that vision changes often aren’t noticeable until significant damage has already occurred. That’s why regular eye exams with dilation are critical, even if your eyesight seems fine. Early signs of diabetes-related damage might include blurry or fluctuating vision, floaters, dark areas in your field of view, or difficulty seeing at night, but waiting for symptoms can lead to missed opportunities for early treatment.
How Dr. Caruana Helps Protect Your Sight
Patients at Caruana Eye Care receive comprehensive eye exams using advanced imaging tools that detect changes in the retina before they impact vision. Dr. Caruana looks for signs of blood vessel leakage, swelling, and pressure changes that can signal early-stage retinopathy or macular edema.
If treatment is needed, options may include injections to reduce retinal swelling, laser therapy to seal leaking vessels or reduce abnormal growth, or surgical intervention in more advanced cases. Dr. Caruana and his team will help coordinate any treatment options with the partnership of a retina specialist to ensure a good outcome. Through timely care, we hope to preserve as much of your vision as possible.
Prevention and Monitoring Go Hand in Hand
Managing your diabetes through healthy blood sugar control is the first step in protecting your eyes. But even well-controlled diabetes can cause vision problems eventually. Dr. Caruana works closely with primary care providers and endocrinologists to coordinate care and ensure that your eyes are receiving the attention they need.
He also encourages yearly comprehensive eye exams for all patients with diabetes, or more often if early signs of retinopathy are detected.
Schedule an Eye Exam in Oakland Park, Florida
If you have diabetes and haven’t had a recent eye exam, now is the time to act. Dr. Albert Caruana brings decades of experience and a detail-oriented approach to every patient visit, helping patients in Oakland Park and surrounding areas protect their sight and stay informed about their eye health. Schedule your next visit by calling (954) 488-2020.
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Office Hours
Monday
8:00 am am - 5:00 am pm
Tuesday
8:00 am am - 5:00 am pm
8:00 am am - 5:00 am pm
Wednesday
Thuirsday
8:00 am am - 5:00 am pm
8:00 am am - 5:00 am pm
Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
(954) 488-2020