Preserve Your Vision With Frazier Eye Center

Diabetic Retinopathy in La Porte

Preserve Your Vision With Frazier Eye 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


Give Your Eyes the Care They Deserve

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 Frazier Eye 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, Frazier Eye Center in La Porte 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 La Porte

Our optometry practice in La Porte

Photograph of L.A.  Frazier
Hours
  • Monday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Thursday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • Aetna
  • Anthem
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Blue Cross
  • Medicare
  • MetLife
  • Spectera
  • United Healthcare
  • VSP

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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113 Reviews
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- Jan. 05, 2024
I cannot say enough good things about this place. When you go in, they make you feel like they have ... known you forever...from the front desk staff to the doctors, techs, etc. Everyone was friendly, helpful and so pleasant. Barbara really stuck out to me and I love chatting with her when I go in for our contacts and glasses. I am looking forward to seeing her again when I pick up my daughter's contacts. Thank you all for being so great to us!
- Dec. 22, 2023
So I was a little nervous the first time I went in for my eye exam. I knew my eyesight had been gett... ing progressively worse since I turned 40. I was actually dreading even going to the appointment. From the moment I walked in the office that day, the staff welcomed me and made me feel immediately at home. They even had coffee in the waiting room. The doctor who did my eye exam was very kind and EXTREMELY good at her job but for me the real fun begins when I came out of the eye exam into the room where the frames are and I met the most helpful of them all and my personal favorite employee there..... Miss Barbara. I would just like to say that every single time I've been to the Fraser eye center Barbara has gone above and beyond to not only make me feel comfortable there but she has went out of her way to help me make choices and has made my experience the best it could possibly be. I truly think this woman deserves a raise she deserves something great because she made something that could have been extremely stressful, very pleasant and actually fun. She's always so helpful and she helped me pout my first frames because I had no idea what would look good on my face and she helped me pick out ones that I love and I would go nowhere else but here and there was nobody else but Barbara because she is the Bees knees in my book, and she definitely knows what she's talking about she is a professional a.t all she does . Thank you so much Barbara! You ROCK!!!!! Melea 😻
- Nov. 06, 2023
Dr Lisa Frazier is one of the best I know. Jessica and Dena and staff are great.
- Aug. 25, 2023
Everyone here is wonderful. I'm always happy with their service.
- Jul. 14, 2023
Best eye exam experience. Dr. Frazier is very thorough and she cares. The staff is amazing Dena is a... lways smiling in the front. Everyone is helpful and the offices are clean.
- Mar. 01, 2023
If I could give this place ten stars I would. Went today for the first with my son, the staff at the... front desk were so friendly made my visit so welcome, to the doctor who saw my son very explanatory about everything she was so sweet and cordial with us. To the lady who helped my son picked out his new glasses she so helpful and nice, I had never had such a great experience like this before. Highly recommend this place. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Aug. 09, 2022
Dr Ashley Olivarez is amazing. One of the nicest Dr. I have ever been to. If you are looking for a n... ew eye Dr. Look no further Dr Ashley is a sure bet.
- Oct. 04, 2021
A great visit !!Great job everything went very well ,Thank-you Mrs Frazier and staff very satisfied ... and Thank-you Rachel for helping me with my glasses. God bless👍😊
- Oct. 01, 2021
Great doctors and staff. Service was top notch.
- Sep. 29, 2021
I really appreciated how thorough my eye exam was for my dry eye problem. I didn’t have to jump th... rew hoops to get seen. The office staff did everything for me. I found a great eye clinic here close to home. Thank you to everyone at Frazier Eye Clinic. Be safe, healthy and blessed. 🦋
- Aug. 31, 2021
The decades of experience dr. Frazier has goes a long way!!! Best eye doctor I've been to !!!!!!
- Aug. 01, 2021
We have been going here for years. Staff very friendly and helpful. Definitely would recommend this ... place
- Feb. 26, 2021
This is the cleanest eyeglass place in the Laporte suburb of Houston. Dr. Frazier has the latest ey... e equipment to test your eyes. She is patient to answer all your questions and concerns. Also, her staff is very kind and Jessica can help you find eyeglasses plus she's an expert dealing with insurance companies which is a plus💗. She's very kind nice person to deal with.
- Feb. 23, 2021
The staff and the doctor were all extremely helpful and so nice. Took their time with my daughter. W... ould definitely recommend this practice. I'm thankful to them for making it an easy experience for my daughter.
- Jan. 31, 2021
Dr. Frazier and her staff have cared for me and my family for at least 20 years and we have always b... een pleased with the thoroughness, competency, gentle and caring way we have been treated. Not only do I recommend her but you are missing out if you are going anywhere else!
- Jan. 29, 2021
Frazier eye center got me in very quickly once i told them i was having bad eye pain. Took dr Frazie... r about 2 seconds to find something in my eye and another 2 seconds to get it out. So thankful for her!
- Dec. 06, 2020
Highly Recommend Frazier Eye Center! I have major eye issues and Dr Frazier explained everything th... at was going on with my eyes. Very professional office, equipment and staff! Thank you Frazier Eye Center!
- Nov. 18, 2020
Excellent staff, excellent care, complete covid protection practices. Dr was exceptionally caring an... d kind.
- Nov. 14, 2020
Extremely thorough first time eye exam for prescription glasses. . Far superior to what I had at Bay... lor College of Medicine a month earlier or any other prior optometrist office. I was double checking the prescription that was given to me from Baylor, and changes were made per this visit. Their equipment was something out if Star Trek. Far more updated from ANY previous optometrist office. Thus, as mentioned, Extremely thorough eye exam and am likewise, Extremely satisfied. DR Gaston, very knowledgeable, great patient communication as well as support staff. First time for me, and WILL BE BACK, in the future. OXOXOXOX
- Nov. 12, 2020
Front office staff are super friendly, very helpful and so pleasant. It was an absolute pleasure to ... come and have my eyes taken care of here. I wouldn't consider going anywhere else for my eye health.

View All 113 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 Frazier Eye Center in La Porte 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