If you have diabetes, then your eye doctor in Chicago may speak with you about diabetic retinopathy, an eye problem that can affect diabetics. Continue reading to learn the answers to common questions about diabetic retinopathy.

What is diabetic retinopathy?

In people with diabetes, progressive damage to the retina, which is the lining at the back of the eye that is sensitive to light, is what ophthalmologists refer to as diabetic retinopathy. This condition is a serious complication of diabetes that can threaten your eyesight.

What causes diabetic retinopathy?

When you have diabetes, your body’s ability to use and store glucose (sugar) is affected, a problem which can lead to high blood sugar levels. When your blood has too much sugar in it, this can cause damage to your tissues, including those of your eyes. Over time, diabetes can harm the blood vessels of each retina, causing blood and other fluids to leak out. As the retinal tissue swells with these fluids, blurred or cloudy vision can result. When left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can eventually lead to blindness.

What are the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy?

When diabetic retinopathy develops, the individual may experience any of several symptoms that include blurred vision, trouble seeing at night, seeing floaters or spots, and having an empty or dark spot in the field of vision. If you notice any of these symptoms, see your eye care professional right away. Although vision loss that results from this condition can be irreversible, early detection can significantly reduce your risk of blindness.

What can I do to prevent diabetic retinopathy?

This eye condition frequently develops without any early warning signs. For this reason, it’s critical to see your eye doctor at least once per year for a comprehensive dilated eye exam. Also, controlling your diabetes can slow the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy, so work with your doctor to help keep your blood sugar and blood pressure at healthy levels.

With the growing popularity of DIY projects and home improvement repairs, it may come as no surprise that eye injuries that occur at home are on the rise. As part of your family’s ongoing eye care near Chicago, use the following tips to help prevent eye injuries around your home.

Inside the Garage

Unsurprisingly, many household eye injuries occur inside the garage or workshop. In many cases, these accidents result due to a lack of protective eyewear. If you are using chemicals, working with tools, securing items with bungee cords, or doing a task that creates dust or other eye irritants, it’s important to use caution. Due to the dangers that these activities can pose, eye doctors advise that you and anyone nearby wear protective goggles to help avert accidents.

In the Yard

While people often worry about the safety of using a lawnmower due to the sharp blades, this type of equipment can present a different kind of hazard. While they may seem innocuous, the pieces of grass and the dust particles that become airborne as you mow can be a threat to your eyes, so use protective eyewear for this task. The same eye care advice goes for using power trimmers on your shrubs and hedges.

Inside the House

Many of the eye injuries that occur inside the home involve chemicals and hazardous items such as bleach and household cleaners, so always wear protective goggles when necessary, and wash your hands after using these products to avoid getting them into your eyes. If anyone in your household uses curling irons or other heated styling devices near their face, remind them to take care when using these appliances, so they can avoid inadvertently making contact with their eyes. Also, eye injuries can occur when cooking due to splashing oil or other hot liquids, so always take care while in the kitchen. Finally, eye doctors advise that you always use caution while drilling or hammering, and even while opening champagne bottles, to help avoid injuries.

While regularly visiting your ophthalmologist near Chicago is an important part of your ongoing eye care, so is taking care of your vision while at work and home. If your vision gets blurry, your eyes burn, or your neck aches after sitting in front of your computer for a while, then you may be dealing with eyestrain. Watch this video to find out more about this common condition.

Referred to by eye doctors as computer vision syndrome, eyestrain that results from looking at a computer monitor is not an uncommon problem. Luckily, there are several steps that eye doctors recommend for preventing this issue. Your monitor should be 20 to 30 inches from your eyes, so adjusting it to be within this range may alleviate your symptoms. Also, ensure that the monitor is at eye level and that your lighting doesn’t create a glare on the screen.

Intraocular implants may be appropriate for some patients with cataracts or presbyopia. When you visit an optical center in Chicago to discuss having this type of eye surgery , the ophthalmologist will explain the different types of intraocular lenses (IOLs) that are available. One popular option is the monofocal lens, which is designed to provide optimal vision at near, intermediate, or far distances. If your monofocal lens is set for near distance, then you would need eye glasses to see at far distances. Another option is to set one lens for near and another for far distances. This is known as monovision and it provides vision at intermediate distances.

Alternatively, your ophthalmologist might recommend that you have multifocal or accommodative lenses. This is a newer type of IOLs that may reduce your dependence on glasses and contact lenses. A multifocal lens features a series of different focal zones, which can allow for both near and far distance vision.

If your ophthalmologist near Chicago has diagnosed you with glaucoma , you may be wondering about the nature of this condition and how it will affect your vision and eye care. Different patients can experience glaucoma in different ways. In most cases, this disease affects peripheral vision first. As glaucoma progresses, it can cause you to experience tunnel vision as your peripheral vision continues to deteriorate. While some people maintain their central vision, this can also be damaged by glaucoma.

Eye doctors aren’t certain about why glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve but for many patients, an increase in pressure in the eye seems to be involved. Your eyes produce a watery fluid called aqueous humor that, in healthy eyes, drains out and into the bloodstream. Because of a malfunctioning drainage system, the fluid fails to drain properly in some individuals, resulting in an increase of pressure in the eye. Some ophthalmologists believe that this condition may be the cause of the optic nerve damage and resulting vision loss that occurs in glaucoma patients.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of vision loss in Americans over 50 years of age and is frequently treated by eye doctors in Chicago. If you’ve been diagnosed with this condition or think that you may be at risk, read on to learn more about AMD.

Types of AMD

Age-related macular degeneration affects the macula, which is at the back of the eye in the center of the retina. AMD can cause slow or rapid vision loss but rarely leads to total blindness. Dry AMD usually progresses slowly and is the most common form of this condition. This type of AMD stops the flow of nutrients to the cells in the macula which process light, resulting in cell death. Wet AMD tends to progress quickly and results in more serious vision loss. With this type of AMD, abnormal blood cells grow beneath the retina and break open, resulting in vision impairment.

Symptoms of AMD

It’s possible for the signs of AMD to manifest only once the disease has progressed. AMD sufferers can experience symptoms that include difficulty seeing in low light, seeing straight lines as blurry or wavy, trouble seeing in the center of vision, and changes in the appearance of colors. Visit an eye care specialist if you experience any of these symptoms.

Treatment for AMD

For patients diagnosed with dry AMD, vitamin supplementation is the current form of treatment. Research has shown that in certain combinations, vitamins can slow AMD’s progression in some patients. Treatment for wet AMD focuses on preventing the growth and decreasing the leakage from the abnormal blood vessels. Laser procedures are sometimes used, but anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs are the standard treatment. These medications are injected into the eye by an ophthalmologist. The eye is numbed beforehand, and the injections must be administered several times over the period of treatment. Your eye doctor may also recommend that you speak with your primary care physician about developing an exercise plan and making dietary changes that support a healthy lifestyle.

Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease that can lead to blindness . It involves damage inflicted on the optic nerve. Although your eye doctor cannot cure glaucoma, he or she can help you learn how to manage it properly. Early detection is critical, so schedule regular eye exams at an optical center in Chicago. Your eye doctor can check for the early warning signs of glaucoma by performing a dilated eye exam, which checks for damage to the optic nerve. The ophthalmologist can also check the pressure in your eye and assess your visual field.

When you visit the optical center, be sure to tell your eye doctor about any changes in your vision. Glaucoma typically causes patients to lose “patches” of vision such as peripheral vision. If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, it’s likely that your ophthalmologist will prescribe medicated eye drops to lower the pressure within your eye and prevent further damage. Some people with glaucoma may need laser surgery to manage intraocular pressure.

Children need to see an ophthalmologist at a much younger age than many parents realize. The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends scheduling a trip to the ophthalmologist when an infant has reached six months of age. The next visits with an eye doctor should be scheduled at about the third and fifth birthdays. However, if you notice any potential signs of eye problems in your child, you can schedule a comprehensive eye exam with an ophthalmologist in Chicago at any time.

Appearance

Sometimes, eye problems that occur in children involve visible changes. If your child’s eyes appear to be misaligned, a trip to the ophthalmologist is in order. This could be a condition known as strabismus, or crossed eyes, which requires early treatment. Other visible changes to the eyes can include redness, swelling, and crusting. These are possible signs of an eye infection such as conjunctivitis.

Behavior

If your child is nearsighted or farsighted, he or she may display some atypical behaviors. Your child may hold books or pictures unusually close to or far away from his or her head. You might notice that your child frequently rubs his or her eyes, especially while trying to concentrate on something. He or she may consistently sit too close to the TV. Some children might even close or cover one eye while reading or watching TV. This last symptom may indicate a binocular vision problem.

Academic Progress

Many children are diagnosed with nearsightedness after suffering a setback in academic performance. If your child has suddenly begun to receive poor grades or his or her teacher has noted that your child has not been paying attention in class, it could be time to schedule an eye exam. Kids who cannot see well have trouble reading instructions on the chalkboard. They might have trouble using computers or performing close work. In these cases, vision correction via eyeglasses may be all that is needed to get kids back on track in school.

Symptoms

If your child is old enough to articulate the problems he or she is experiencing, then you may hear him or her complain of dizziness, headaches, or nausea after reading or using a computer. These symptoms may indicate refractive errors. If your child experiences other types of vision problems, he or she may complain of having itchy, painful, or burning eyes. Fortunately, an ophthalmologist can help your child see clearly again.

More commonly referred to as “crossed eyes,” strabismus is a disorder in which the eyes are out of alignment with each other. In other words, they do not focus on the same object at the same time. Strabismus is often present at birth, although it can develop in adults. If you or your child has the appearance of being cross-eyed, it’s important to visit an ophthalmologist at an ophthalmology practice in Chicago. An ophthalmologist can help you understand the condition, including its possible causes such as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, or eye injuries.

For a child with strabismus, vision correction often involves placing an eyepatch over the stronger eye to force the weaker eye to become stronger. Adults with mild strabismus may benefit from eye muscle exercises and eyeglasses. However, for a child or for an adult, eye muscle surgery may be needed in severe cases and for symptoms that are not sufficiently addressed through conservative treatments.