A 2015 study has shown that children with diabetes are not at a high risk of developing diabetes-related eye conditions, and in-depth examinations can begin at a later date. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that individuals with type 1 diabetes have annual screenings starting 5 years from their initial diagnosis.
Adhering to typical guidelines for how often your child should have their eyes examined is sufficient to monitor their eye health.
Diabetic retinopathy affects individuals with diabetes when high blood sugar levels begin to damage the blood vessels in the retina. The blood vessels can start to swell, leak, or completely block blood from passing through, resulting in loss of vision.
There are 2 stages of diabetic retinopathy:
The earliest stage of diabetic retinopathy, NPDR is the most common cause of diabetes-related vision loss. NPDR causes the blood vessels to leak, causing swelling in the retina and your vision to become blurry.
As diabetic retinopathy progresses, it becomes PDR. This occurs when the retina begins to grow new blood vessels that are abnormal and may start to bleed into the vitreous (the clear, jelly-like substance that fills the eye). If they bleed a little, you may see dark floaters in your vision. If they bleed a lot, it can cause complete vision loss.
Diabetic macular edema is, in some cases, caused by diabetic retinopathy and occurs when fluid builds up in the macula. The macula can begin to swell as a result, distorting vision.
DME can cause colors to seem faded, and vision loss can range from slightly blurry to complete loss.
We offer thorough assessments to understand your child’s eyes better. Please book an appointment to see how we can help your child.
You can find us on the corner of East 1st Street and North Magnolia Street. We share a parking lot with First Reliance Bank that includes accessible parking spaces.
Please keep in mind we are closed daily from 12 PM to 1 PM for lunch.
The first step towards safeguarding your child’s vision is booking them an eye exam. When you bring your child in, we’ll test the quality of their vision as well as assess their overall eye health, helping to ensure that any potential eye conditions are caught early and dealt with effectively.
Children’s Eye Exams
Myopia is one of the most common vision problems affecting children around the world. Luckily, we can help you find the most effective way to manage myopia in your child so that they can get back to discovering their world with the clearest vision possible.
Myopia Control
Some eye conditions, like strabismus and amblyopia, can develop early in your child’s life. With vision therapy, we’ll be able to develop a series of exercises specific to the needs of your child that are designed to improve their vision over time.
Vision Therapy
Some eye diseases can develop over the course of a few years without patients exhibiting any symptoms, and can ultimately lead to vision loss. We’re here to diagnose eye diseases as quickly as possible and find effective management tools to protect your child’s sight.
Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management
We all know that good eyesight is essential to learning. But did you know there’s more to good vision than 20/20? In addition to refractive […]
We all know that good eyesight is essential to learning. But did you know there’s more to good vision than 20/20? In addition to refractive […]
