Preserve Your Vision With Crown Vision Center - Oakville

Diabetic Retinopathy in Oakville

Preserve Your Vision With Crown Vision Center - Oakville

Schedule Eye Exam

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


Give Your Eyes the Care They Deserve

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 Crown Vision Center - Oakville 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, Crown Vision Center - Oakville in Oakville 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 Oakville

Our optometry practice in Oakville

Photograph of Alaina  Altenbernd
Hours
  • Monday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Thursday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Spectera
  • Medicaid
  • Anthem
  • Metlife
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • 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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245 Reviews
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- Oct. 16, 2023
Excellent job and care
- Sep. 23, 2023
Excellent, caring management and support staff. I'd recommend this location for all vision service n... eeds.
- Sep. 03, 2023
The staff are amazing!! I truly appreciate their customer service. They made me feel better after br... eaking both pairs of glasses.. no questions asked just straight service and help!
- Aug. 06, 2023
The people at the Oakville Crown Vision are amazing! They make sure that you are a very satisfied cu... stomer, they are very knowledgeable of their job and always greet you with a smile
- Jun. 02, 2023
Great office and staff. Really have enjoyed every interaction I’ve had at this location.
- May. 22, 2023
The lady that helped me with my glasses was very knowledgeable and the sweetest lady ever
- Apr. 29, 2023
friendly, professional and compassionate staff. Dr Altenbernd is great!
- Apr. 23, 2023
Nikki, Emily, and Don were awesome on the frontline of the service! Dr. Wira gets my recommendation ... 100 percent!
- Mar. 30, 2023
Christina is great. Very caring and professional
- Mar. 14, 2023
Very friendly and welcoming. Staff and Dr! Will gladly return!
- Mar. 03, 2023
Awesome customer service and very knowledgeable staff.
- Feb. 10, 2023
Excellent customer service and knowledgeable in their field.
- Jan. 04, 2023
I love going to this vision center. The staff is amazing and understanding. It was clean and organiz... ed as well. I appreciate great costumer service, and recommend all to set their appointments here.
- Dec. 10, 2022
I've been going to Crown Vision since I was in grade school. The staff is always friendly and have a... welcoming atmosphere. I always feel comfortable doing business with them because of their great experience.
- Nov. 10, 2022
The staff have all been helpful and very friendly. Service was quick and timely
- Nov. 05, 2022
Great staff that have gone above and beyond to help me while I was having issues with my eyes.
- Oct. 28, 2022
I have tried two other vision centers and this one is by far the best! The staff is so helpful and ... friendly and I received my new glasses in less than two weeks. I would highly recommend them.
- Oct. 25, 2022
Wonderful staff!
- Oct. 19, 2022
I've been going to Crown (this specific location) since 6th grade (over 25 years now). I've never on... ce had a bad experience. I no longer live very close to the location, but the drive is absolutely worth it. They have always been kind, timely, knowledgeable, work within budgets and have no judgment, welcoming, respectful, and I always feel that I am getting the best and most accurate diagnosis/prescription. I can't see myself ever going anywhere else.
- Sep. 21, 2022
Don, the manager at this location, really goes above and beyond to make purchasing your eyewear easy... , as affordable as possible, and he’s a really nice man! Highly recommend!

View All 245 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 Crown Vision Center - Oakville in Oakville 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