Connecticut Patients Need to Prevent Diabetic Eye Problems

WESTPORT, CT, November 02, 2012 (Press-News.org) "Preventing vision loss from diabetic eye problems such as diabetic retinopathy is within reach for many patients if it is detected, diagnosed and treated early in its course," said Connecticut Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. of Doctor & Associates with Fairfield County offices located in Westport, Norwalk and Wilton.

As November has been designated as National Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month this is an important time to spread the word about this potentially blinding disease. Many people with diabetes still do not adhere to vision care guidelines recommending a dilated eye exam every year. "The longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing diabetic retinopathy," commented Dr. Leslie Doctor.

Diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease. Blood sugar levels can weaken blood vessels causing them to break down which causes swelling, hemorrhages and lipid deposits that can ultimately lead to vision loss. More ominous is the effect of the blood vessel breakdown and oxygen deprivation in promoting fragile new blood vessel growth that can easily break resulting in vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment and devastating vision impairment. Patients can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetic eye disease by not smoking, controlling their cholesterol and lipid profile and blood pressure, as well as working to eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fish, fruit and green leafy vegetables and exercising.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and Intraocular Lens Implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center.

To learn more about Doctor & Associates you may visit http://www.doctor-and-associates.com or http://www.facebook.com/doctorandassociates

SOURCE: Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.
http://www.aboutcataractsurgery.com
http://www.seewithlasik.com

For additional information, contact:
Dorothy Figueroa, Doctor & Associates, 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, dfigueroa@drdrgroup.com, 203-227-4113.