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Diabetic Eye Treatment in Melbourne & Brevard County, FL

Also serving Merritt Island & Suntree

Everyone should be concerned with their ocular health, but people living with diabetes need to be extra diligent. That is because diabetic eye diseases, especially diabetic retinopathy, can cause irreversible damage — and even blindness.

Unmanaged diabetes causes blood sugar spikes, which unfortunately can damage the blood vessels in your retina. New blood vessels develop to compensate, but these are also prone to leaking, further disrupting your vision. Patients with diabetic retinopathy often go on to develop related eye problems like glaucoma, retinal detachment, and macular edema.

Diabetic Retinopathy in Melbourne, FL

Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy

The symptoms of this disease are often difficult to discern in the preliminary stages, which underscores the need to undergo regular eye exams if you have diabetes. As diabetic retinopathy progresses, you may notice symptoms that include:

  • Blurry vision
  • Poor night vision
  • Floaters
  • Red eyes
  • Eye discomfort
  • Declining visual acuity
  • Vacant spots in your vision
  • Diminished capacity for perceiving colors

Diagnosing Diabetic Retinopathy

After dilating your pupils, your eye doctor can look at the back portion of your eyes for potentially alarming signs such as retinal scar tissue, leaked blood in the vitreous, poorly formed blood vessels, or various problems with your optic nerve.

Depending on what this initial test reveals, your eye doctor can administer additional tests. Most popular is optical coherence tomography (OCT), which provides detailed images of the retina so that your eye doctor can measure the thickness of your retina. (A swollen retina indicates that fluid has leaked into the tissue.) Another option called fluorescein angiography can identify specific vessels that are leaking blood in the retina.

If you are a person with diabetes, you should undergo regular eye examinations to check for subtle signs of diabetic retinopathy, even if you have not noticed symptoms.

Diabetic Retinopathy symptoms in Merritt Island

Ways to Treat Diabetic Retinopathy

Early on, the best way to slow or stop the progression of diabetic retinopathy is by carefully managing your diabetes. However, when diabetic retinopathy becomes more advanced or “proliferative,” medical intervention is warranted.

Anti-VEGF Medicine

VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) inhibitors are injected into the clear, gel-like fluid in your eye called the vitreous. This helps to release an accumulation of fluid in the eye while simultaneously stopping extra blood vessels from forming. Lucentis, Avastin, and Eylea are the three main anti-VEGF drugs, all of which are safe. Injections are administered every few months and have been found to stabilize vision in nearly nine out of 10 patients with diabetic retinopathy.

Focal Laser Treatment

With this treatment, also called photocoagulation, your ophthalmologist uses a laser to seal leaky blood vessels so that the blood no longer seeps into the retina. A similar treatment called pan-retinal photocoagulation uses the energy from a laser to stop new leaky blood vessels from emerging.

Vitrectomy

This surgery drains the vitreous from the eye so that your ophthalmologist can remove escaped blood and scar tissue that have developed due to diabetic retinopathy. After, a synthetic fluid can be inserted to take the place of the vitreous.

Stop Diabetic Retinopathy from Robbing Your Vision

Whether you need to diagnose a diabetes-related eye condition or treat an existing disease, our talented eye team can help. Please call (321) 984-3200 to schedule this critical care.

Diabetic Retinopathy FAQs

Person checks their blood sugar level to monitor diabetes.

  • Can diabetic retinopathy be prevented?

    While diabetic retinopathy cannot always be completely prevented, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels significantly reduces the risk of developing severe retinal damage. Patients who carefully manage diabetes with regular medical care, healthy eating habits, exercise, and medication compliance are less likely to experience rapid progression of diabetic eye disease. Controlling blood pressure and cholesterol is also important because these conditions affect the health of retinal blood vessels.

  • How often should someone with diabetes have an eye exam?

    Most patients with diabetes should undergo a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once per year. However, individuals with existing diabetic retinopathy or additional risk factors may require more frequent monitoring. Pregnancy, long-standing diabetes, elevated A1C levels, and poorly controlled blood pressure may increase the likelihood of retinal complications.

  • Can diabetic retinopathy affect central vision?

    Yes. Diabetic retinopathy may lead to a related condition called diabetic macular edema (DME), which affects the macula, which is the part of the retina responsible for detailed central vision. When fluid leaks into the macula, patients may notice blurred vision when reading, distorted images, difficulty recognizing faces, or trouble performing detailed tasks. Early diagnosis and treatment are important because untreated macular swelling can permanently affect visual clarity.

  • Who is at highest risk for diabetic eye disease?

    Anyone with diabetes can develop diabetic eye disease, but the risk generally increases with time. Patients who have had diabetes for many years are more likely to experience retinal complications. Additional risk factors include:

    • Poorly controlled blood sugar
    • High blood pressure
    • Elevated cholesterol
    • Smoking
    • Pregnancy
    • Kidney disease

    Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes should both prioritize regular retinal evaluations, even if their vision appears normal.

  • Can diabetic retinopathy cause blindness?

    Advanced diabetic retinopathy can lead to severe and permanent vision loss if left untreated. Bleeding inside the eye, retinal swelling, scar tissue formation, retinal detachment, and glaucoma may all contribute to declining vision. Fortunately, modern treatment options such as anti-VEGF injections, laser therapy, and vitrectomy surgery have dramatically improved the ability to preserve sight when the condition is diagnosed early and monitored closely.

  • What lifestyle habits help support retinal health in diabetic patients?

    Healthy lifestyle choices play an important role in protecting long-term vision. Patients with diabetes are encouraged to:

    • Maintain stable blood sugar levels
    • Exercise regularly
    • Eat a balanced diet rich in leafy greens and omega-3 fatty acids
    • Avoid smoking
    • Keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control
    • Attend all scheduled eye exams

    These habits support healthier blood vessels throughout the body, including the delicate vessels inside the retina.

  • Why choose Tres Vision Group for diabetic eye treatment?

    Tres Vision Group provides advanced diabetic eye care for patients throughout Melbourne, Merritt Island, Suntree, and Brevard County. Our board-certified eye doctors use modern retinal imaging and evidence-based treatment options to diagnose and manage diabetic eye disease with precision and individualized care. From routine monitoring to advanced retinal treatment, our team is committed to protecting long-term vision through early detection, patient education, and comprehensive follow-up care.