Preserve Your Vision With Oasis Vision Center

Diabetic Retinopathy in Mesa

Preserve Your Vision With Oasis Vision Center

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


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Please note, our practice closes daily 12 PM to 1 PM for lunch.


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 Oasis Vision Center 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, Oasis Vision Center in Mesa 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 Mesa

Our optometry practice in Mesa

Photograph of Marci Pieper
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
  • Nov. 23 Closed
  • Dec. 25 Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Spectera
  • Anthem
  • EyeMed
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Blue Cross
  • MetLife

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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240 Reviews
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- Sep. 06, 2023
Dr. Pieper and her staff are friendly, professional and overall amazing. I recommend them 100%.
- Sep. 04, 2023
I SAW PEOPLE LOVE THIS LOCATION AND HAD TO SEE FOR MYSELF! I found: Attentive, professional, and pro... mpt staff. The office is clean and the doctor listens to you ramble on!! Lol. I recommend this location. PS- my contacts and glasses arrived within 2-3 days from each other. I waited about a week to get my stuff. 🥹 Other locations COULD NEVER! [For anyone saying this is a terrible location you are HATEFUL AND A KAREN/KEVIN. Move on.]
- Sep. 04, 2023
I moved to the east valley and needed to find a new eye care center. Oasis staff and Dr Pieper were ... friendly, efficient and went beyond my expectations. I’m so happy to have found them and been made to feel so comfortable.
- Sep. 02, 2023
Really nice staff, prompt intake process, great selection of frames. Definitely recommend.
- Sep. 02, 2023
Dr Pieper and Staff are very understanding and thorough. I’m so glad that I found them
- Aug. 09, 2023
Dr. Pieper is very knowledgeable, professional, and willing to take the time to answer any questions... you may have. The office is beautiful, and everyone that works there is friendly, very welcoming, and very helpful.
- Jul. 19, 2023
Shout out to the team over there at Oasis Vision! I've been going there for over ten years and appre... ciate their attention to detail, their patience and kindness. Plus, I trust Dr Pieper!! Good combo!
- Jul. 15, 2023
(Translated by Google) The attention was wonderful, I felt very comfortable, they looked for a perso... n who spoke my language and helped me with everything. Very professional. I recommend it! (Original) La atención fue maravillosa, me sentí muy cómoda, buscaron una persona que hablara mi idioma y me ayudó con todo. Muy profesionales. Lo recomiendo!
- Jul. 07, 2023
Thorough exam and diagnosis. Confident in results and recommendations.
- Jun. 24, 2023
Great customer service and very professional friendly staff.
- May. 29, 2023
Dr. Pieper is knowledgeable, professional, and engaging. I highly recommend her to anyone looking fo... r an optometrist. The staff at Oasis is excellent as well. Satisfying experience all around.
- May. 25, 2023
Great people, great service!
- May. 15, 2023
Excellent experience, couldn't have asked for better.
- May. 11, 2023
I very much enjoyed my time at Oasis, everyone there had a smile and was thoughtful and very informa... tive throughout. I’ve been to a few other places for my eye exams but Oasis definitely set my standards higher. They guided me through the process and made me feel valued. Thank you to everyone that helped me, I can’t wait to get my glasses!
- May. 01, 2023
The best vision center for an exam and glasses!
- Apr. 28, 2023
Dr. Doreen Ng delivered superb care without rushing and excellent referral to Arizona Retinal Consul... tants.
- Apr. 28, 2023
I can’t say enough about Oasis! Dr Pieper was amazing and the office staff was really fun! Andrew ... is hilarious and I am happy to say I won’t go anywhere else! Thanks everyone for helping me to get my new glasses.
- Mar. 31, 2023
Wonderful, caring service!
- Mar. 22, 2023
Friendly and knowledgeable staff. I’ve been going here for over fifteen years and would highly rec... ommend it.
- Mar. 17, 2023
I highly recommend Oasis Vision Center. I have seen many optometrists in my life as I began wearing ... glasses from a very young age. The staff at Oasis Vision are the most compassionate, knowledgeable, and helpful in the business! I needed to get my eyes 20/20 in order to achieve my dream of flying and Dr. Marci Pieper took the time to really dial in my prescription like no other had previously done for me. Thank you!

View All 240 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 Oasis Vision Center in Mesa 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