Preserve Your Vision With Hill Country Vision Center - Kerrville

Diabetic Retinopathy in Kerrville

Preserve Your Vision With Hill Country Vision Center - Kerrville

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Have diabetes?

Experiencing changes in vision, such as blurriness and eye floaters?

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of vision loss around the world. Of an estimated 285 million people with diabetes mellitus worldwide, approximately one-third have signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Fortunately, there are several steps people with diabetes can take to prevent or minimize vision loss.

Blood sugar level check


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What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

noraml eye and an eye with diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease caused by high blood sugar levels that damage the small blood vessels clustered within your retina. This leads to swelling or fluid leakage and can result in vision loss and even blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy also raises the risk of retinal detachment and/or glaucoma.

Because the early stages of diabetic retinopathy show no symptoms, many don't realize they have it until the disease has progressed.

If you have diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. To reduce your risk and protect your vision, schedule an eye exam with Hill Country Vision Center - Kerrville today.


What Are the Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy?

diabetic-retinopothy-oct-scan

As mentioned above, the early phase of diabetic retinopathy typically shows no symptoms. This is why it's important to have routine eye exams (all the more so if you have diabetes), as your eye doctor can detect diabetic retinopathy in its earlier stages before symptoms become apparent.

Symptoms of proliferative diabetic retinopathy include:
  • Blurred vision
  • Floaters
  • Double vision
  • Near vision problems
  • Seeing dark spots (scotomas)
  • Difficulty seeing at night

What are the Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy?

Non-Proliferative Retinopathy (early stage):
This occurs when small bulges–or microaneurysms–form in blood vessels and can leak fluid into the retina.

Proliferative Retinopathy (later phase):
This refers to abnormal vessel growth and leakage in the retina. This triggers a variety of vision problems such as blurriness, reduced field of vision, and even blindness.

If you have diabetes, Hill Country Vision Center - Kerrville in Kerrville offers diagnostic tests and treatment options to help preserve your vision. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the treatment outcome.

Diabetic-Retinopathy-Bllod-sugar-level-checker


How Optometrists Diagnose Diabetic Retinopathy

  • Medical history

    Your optometrist will ask about your medical history, including diabetes, as well as your family history of eye conditions.

  • Dilated pupil exam

    Your optometrist will apply eye drops to dilate the pupils so they can see inside the eye and detect any issues.

  • Fluorescein angiography

    This eye test uses a special dye and camera to look at blood flow in the retina and choroid.

  • Optical coherence tomography

    This imaging method shows a cross-section of the retina and can indicate whether vessels are leaking fluid into the retina.


Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis & Treatment in Kerrville

Our optometry practice in Kerrville

Photograph of Brandon Blaker
Hours
  • Monday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Thursday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
  • Nov. 24 Closed
  • Dec. 25 Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Spectera
  • Medicaid
  • EyeMed
  • Blue Cross

How to Treat Diabetic Retinopathy

senior man with diabetic retinopathy

Treatment begins with managing blood sugar levels and diabetes. This means eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and taking whatever diabetes medication has been prescribed.

Other treatments will depend on the stage or severity of the disease. If caught early, only blood sugar management may be necessary.

However, if you're in a more advanced stage of the diseases, treatment options may include:
  • Eye medications. Steroid and Anti-VEGF treatments can stop inflammation and prevent the formation of new blood vessels.
  • Laser surgery. Reduces the proliferation of abnormal blood vessels and swelling in the retina.
  • Vitrectomy. If you have proliferative diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye surgery called vitrectomy. This procedure removes scar tissue, blood or fluid, and some of the vitreous gel so light rays can better focus on the retina.
Patient Reviews
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220 Reviews
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- Nov. 23, 2023
Fast Friendly Knowledgeable Professional
- Nov. 20, 2023
Best optical in Kerrville!
- Nov. 15, 2023
Kind staff who really know their stuff. You will be in good hands.
- Oct. 01, 2023
Hill Country Visuon in Kerrville is a great place for your eye care needs.
- Sep. 23, 2023
Friendly, and a great exam that was thorough! I always enjoy visiting Eye Country!
- Sep. 15, 2023
So nice and very helpful!
- Sep. 15, 2023
Great doctor, great staff!
- Sep. 12, 2023
This practice is amazing and will take care of you right! Not only did the Dr do a great job but Ave... ry S went above and beyond with making sure my glasses were perfect! I couldn't have wished for better service and such friendly people! Thank you!
- Sep. 10, 2023
Great place, full of happy helpful people.
- Aug. 29, 2023
Excellent friendly staff and MD! Love my new senior goggles!
- Aug. 12, 2023
My son has tried contacts before and we’ve had no success. We thought we’d try again at a diffe... rent place with new people and came to Hill Country Vision. Kurt worked him and was so patient and great with him!!! My son got them in with all of Kurt’s tips and tricks!! We had to go back a week later and he sat with him again and encouraged him into confidence and success!! We are truly thankful and grateful to Kurt. He is our hero. He is amazing at what he does. Thank you Kurt!!
- Jul. 14, 2023
Everything about our experience here was top notch. The wife and I both had our eye prescriptions up... dated, and we ordered, and were very happy, with our new glasses. Excellent customer service here, and everyone, yes everyone, made us feel welcome and valued, a refreshing experience. We will tell our friends. Thank you HCVC!
- Jul. 14, 2023
Very professional and friendly staff
- Jun. 11, 2023
Great staff, friendly and knowledgeable.
- Jun. 10, 2023
Excellent service and great experience.
- Jun. 10, 2023
All the staff were very friendly in helping me with a difficult situation for me. I have only in the... last few yrs have needed glasses and I have been straggling with that change. It was refreshing to have kind people help me through the process.
- Jun. 04, 2023
Great and friendly service
- Jun. 01, 2023
I love my glasses! So does my daughter. The experience was quick easy and thorough. If you need glas... ses or an eye dr this is the place! Also the selection was amazing.
- May. 21, 2023
This is the best eye doctor I have ever been to and I have been wearing glasses since Kindergarten. ... The doctor is great, the contacts are great, and I am seeing better than I have seen in years. It’s been life changing for me finding the right script and contacts for my astigmatism and my extreme nearsightedness!
- May. 18, 2023
Great customer service

View All 220 Reviews

Diabetic Retinopathy FAQs

What are the major risk factors for diabetic retinopathy?

As the name suggests, diabetes is the main risk factor for developing diabetic retinopathy. Be mindful of your family history of type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, get an annual eye exam to detect potential problems early.

Other conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol are also risk factors. Moreover, those of African or Hispanic descent have a higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Can diabetic retinopathy be prevented?

There are a number of ways to preserve your vision and reduce the risk of vision and eye damage due to diabetic retinopathy.

  • Visit your eye doctor for annual eye exams.
  • Control your blood sugar levels.
  • Maintain healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Quit smoking.

The best thing you can do right now is to schedule your eye exam with Hill Country Vision Center - Kerrville in Kerrville to ensure that everything is in check.

Does diabetic retinopathy cause blindness?

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness among work-aged adults. It affects one in three people with diabetes and often goes unnoticed at first. Diagnosing and treating the condition early on can prevent severe vision loss.


blood sugaer level testing kit

Have diabetes?

Early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.

Schedule Eye Exam