If you have diabetes, you should have your eyes examined at least once a year by the ophthalmologists at the Cleveland Eye Clinic. It is possible that you could develop a disease called Diabetic Retinopathy. This disease is a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. These changes may result in vision loss or blindness.
Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy
Often there are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Vision may not change until the disease becomes severe. Nor is there any pain. Blurred vision may occur when the macula – the part of the retina that provides sharp, central vision – swells from the leaking fluid. This condition is called macular edema. If new vessels have grown on the surface of the retina, they can bleed into the eye, blocking vision. But, even in more advanced cases, the disease may progress a long way without symptoms. That is why regular eye examinations for people with diabetes are so important.
Early Detection and Signs of Eye Diseases
Finding and treating your eye disease early, before it causes vision loss or blindness, is the best way to control a diabetic eye disease. So, if you have diabetes, make sure you get a dilated eye examination at least once a year. Your eyes will be dilated during the exam. That means eyedrops are used to enlarge your pupils. This allows our eye care professionals to see more of the inside of your eyes to check for signs of the disease.
If you should have diabetic retinopathy laser surgery and appropriate follow-up care can reduce the risk of blindness by 90 percent. However, laser surgery often cannot restore vision that has already been lost. That is why finding diabetic retinopathy early is the best way to prevent vision loss. Contact our eye doctors and specialists at Cleveland Eye Clinic to learn more about Diabetic Eye Disease treatment options, or request an appointment on our website.
Tepezza
What is Tepezza
If you have Thyroid Eye Disease (TED), Tepezza may provide the relief you need. Tepezza is the first and only prescription medication approved by the FDA to treat TED. As an infusion medication, Tepezza is administered through an IV. This treatment consists of eight total infusions which generally take five months to complete.
How Does Tepezza Work
TED causes the muscle and fat behind the eyes to swell. By targeting TED at its source, Tepezza reduces this swelling and relieves symptoms such as:
- Eye bulging
- Double vision
- Blurry vision
- Eye pain
- Eye redness
- Eyelid swelling
- Light sensitivity
- Intraocular pressure
- Dry eyes
- Teary eyes
- Eyelid retraction
- Vision loss
- Color vision loss
Get the Eye Relief You Need at Cleveland Eye Clinic
Whether you suffer from bulging eyes or TED-induced eyelid swelling, Tepezza can provide the lasting relief you’re looking for. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Rachel Davis to determine whether Tepezza is right for you. Besides being a respected name in the field of oculoplastic surgery, Dr. Davis is one of the only Tepezza specialists in Northeast Ohio. We look forward to seeing you soon at a Cleveland Eye Clinic location near you.
Tepezza FAQs
Is Tepezza permanent?
Tepezza is a drug for the treatment of thyroid eye disease. Thyroid eye disease is a rare, autoimmune disease characterized by proptosis (a condition where the eyes are pushed forward and bulge outward) leading to eye pain, double vision, and difficulty closing the eyelid.
Who Qualifies for Tepezza?
Patients who have active thyroid eye disease and meet specific clinical criteria are a candidate for the drug.
What causes thyroid eye disease symptoms?
Graves’ Orbitopathy is an autoimmune condition. It attacks the tissue surrounding the eye causing inflammation in the tissues around and behind the eye.
How long does Tepezza infusion last?
In some patients, results will start to show at 6 weeks. For other patients, it may take as long as 24 weeks. Improvements can be observed for up to about a year.
