Sun City, AZ is known for its lifestyle and community for all, but particularly as haven for active retired adults. Meanwhile, although the entire community boasts of numerous health and clinical facilities, there are some cases where you may need world-class health care. This is especially true for grave cases like diabetic retinopathy.
A serious complication
Generally, retinopathy is one of the most common among a number of eye-related complications for someone with diabetes. Other than retinopathy, diabetic complications on the eyes also include macular edema, cataract, and glaucoma.
However, among these diseases, diabetic retinopathy is considered as the most common cause of blindness among diabetics. According to the National Eye Institute, retinopathy is also the number one reason for vision loss among working-class adults, even in developed countries with first-rate health care like the United States and the UK.
Why is retinopathy one of the leading causes of blindness in diabetes complications? When left untreated, retinopathy seriously affects the blood vessels in the retinal area, including the light-sensitive tissues found in the back of the eye. However, the disease itself is rarely diagnosed in its early stages, and usually goes unnoticed. It is only as the retinopathy has advanced significantly that a sudden drop in vision acuity will trigger alarms.
Meanwhile, eye specialists recommend a comprehensive dilated eye test at least every year, to check for diabetes complications in the eye.
Can diabetic retinopathy be cured?
Of course, a 100% return to a perfect vision is unlikely, given that retinopathy is a progressing complication for a diabetic. However, there are a number of treatments available that experts endorse, especially in as health-conscious a community as Sun City, AZ.
Treatment depends on retinopathy stage
On the other hand, treatments vary per patient, depending on the type of retinopathy, and how progressive it has become. At the onset of the complication is background retinopathy. While the eyesight remains almost the same, the complication forces the capillaries in the retina to bulge and may even lead to leak of retinal fluid and blood.
When the capillary bulges near the macula, this is seen as maculopathy, and there is some loss of vision in the affected eye. Vision loss depends on how severe it is, from blurry eyesight to loss of fine details.
As background retinopathy progresses, it develops into proliferative retinopathy. Blood loss in the retinal capillaries deprive the eye of proper supply and circulation, and the resulting hemorrhage may pull on the retina, causing it to detach and leading to vision loss or blindness.
World-class treatment for retinopathy
This is where world-class treatment for retinopathy is needed. Specialized therapy for retinopathy includes laser treatment and proper disease management. If you are in Sun City, AZ, one first-rate healthcare provider is Arizona Retinal Specialists. The facility is home to Dr. Gholam Peyman, the world-renowned retinal surgeon and inventor of the LASIK eye surgery.
Meanwhile, as a world-class and top-caliber healthcare institution, your treatment for diabetic retinopathy doesn’t end with just one or two procedures. With a number of other eye healthcare services in the facility, the team of experts at the Arizona Retinal Specialists team also ensures your total health and well-being.
