Contact Us 956-777-7200 Eye Diseases / Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetic Retinopathy Many people do not realize that diabetes can severely affect your vision. The condition known as Diabetic Retinopathy is actually one of the most common diabetic eye diseases, and despite advances in technology, pharmaceuticals and treatment regimes, it is still one of the leading causes of blindness in American adults. In some ways, Diabetic Retinopathy is a little like Glaucoma, another leading cause of blindness that is known as a “sneak” thief of sight. That is because there are very few warning signs of glaucoma until vision loss has occurred. The same is often true with Diabetic Retinopathy. If you have Diabetic Retinopathy, you may not notice changes to your vision at first. But over time, Diabetic Retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss and can usually affect both eyes. In layman terms, Diabetic Retinopathy is caused when the flow of blood into the blood vessels to the retina – or back portion of the eye – is interrupted. In some cases, these blood vessels may actually swell and leak fluid. In other cases of Diabetic Retinopathy, new abnormal blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. Patients with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are at risk for developing Diabetic Retinopathy. It is important for everyone with diabetes to schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. The longer someone has diabetes, the more likely he or she will develop diabetic retinopathy. Between 40 to 45 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of Diabetic Retinopathy. Because there are often few, if any, visual symptoms in the early stages of the disease, nor is there any pain, patients who are diabetic should NOT wait for symptoms. Be sure to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. If you notice a few specks of blood, or spots, “floating” in your vision, contact Thurmond Eye Associates as soon as possible. You may need treatment before more serious bleeding occurs. Sometimes the spots will clear up without treatment and your vision will improve on its own. However, bleeding can reoccur and cause severely blurred vision, which is why you need to be examined by an eye care professional at the first sign of blurred vision, before more bleeding occurs. If left untreated, Diabetic Retinopathy can cause severe vision loss and even blindness. Also, the earlier you receive treatment, the more likely treatment will be effective. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact our office for a comprehensive eye exam. My Online Clinic Advanced Cataract Care Glaucoma Management Diabetic and Retinal Care Our Convenient Locations Job Opportunities Home About Services Optical Locations Appointments Contact OUR LOCATIONS: Thurmond Eye Vision Center 2230 S. 77 Sunshine Strip, Suite 206 Harlingen, TX 78552 956-777-7200 Harlingen 2224 Camelot Plaza Cir Harlingen, TX 78550 956-777-7200 McAllen 222 East Ridge Rd., Suite 110 McAllen, TX 78503 956-777-7200 Mission 1301 S. Bryan Road Mission, TX 78572 956-777-7200 Rio Grande City 189 S. Shelby Rio Grande City, TX 78582 956-487-7770 Weslaco 1519 E. 6th St. Weslaco, TX 78596 956-777-7200 North McAllen / Edinburg 4143 Crosspoint Blvd. Edinburg, TX 78539 956-777-7200 © 2020 Thurmond Eye Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy We Value Your Privacy SETTINGS NextRoll, Inc. ("NextRoll") and our advertising partners use cookies and similar technologies on this site and use personal data (e.g., your IP address). If you consent, the cookies, device identifiers, or other information can be stored or accessed on your device for the purposes described below. You can click "Allow All" or "Decline All" or click Settings above to customize your consent. NextRoll and our advertising partners process personal data to: ● Store and/or access information on a device; ● Create a personalized content profile; ● Select personalised content; ● Personalized ads, ad measurement and audience insights; ● Product development. For some of the purposes above, our advertising partners: ● Use precise geolocation data. Some of our partners rely on their legitimate business interests to process personal data. View our advertising partners if you wish to provide or deny consent for specific partners, review the purposes each partner believes they have a legitimate interest for, and object to such processing. If you select Decline All, you will still be able to view content on this site and you will still receive advertising, but the advertising will not be tailored for you. You may change your setting whenever you see the on this site. DECLINE ALL ALLOW ALL