Las Vegas ophthalmologist Dr. Wellish and his team of highly trained doctors want to ensure that our patients are educated on eye diseases and how to treat and/or even prevent these diseases from continuing. November marks the national diabetic eye awareness month and here at Wellish Vision Institute in Las Vegas & Henderson, we want to bring attention to diabetic retinopathy. This disease is caused by diabetes and there are multiple stages of the disease as well.
- Mild non-proliferative retinopathy: Small areas of swelling occur in the retina’s blood vessels.
- Moderate non-proliferative retinopathy: Blood vessels that nourish the retina become blocked or congested
- Severe non-proliferative retinopathy: More blood vessels become blocked, which ultimately disrupts the blood supply that nourishes the retina. The damaged retina then signals the body to produce new blood vessels.
- Proliferative retinopathy: At this advanced stage, signals sent by the retina trigger the development of new blood vessels that grow (or proliferate) in the retina and the vitreous, which is a transparent gel that fills the interior of the eye. Because these new blood vessels are abnormal, they can rupture and bleed, causing hemorrhages in the retina or vitreous. Scar tissue can develop and can tug at the retina, causing further damage or even retinal detachment.
While there are really no symptoms that stem from diabetic retinopathy, our doctors here at Wellish Vision Institute can determine if you have this disease from a comprehensive eye exam at any of our three locations in Las Vegas. Wellish Vision Institute is your local choice for Las Vegas LASIK, cataract surgery & eye disease treatment. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to call our office today to make an appointment.