Four Corners Eye Clinic is committed to providing outstanding, comprehensive eyecare in a compassionate, professional environment.
Appointment RequestMain Office Four Corners Eye Clinic 575 Rivergate Lane #212 Durango, CO 81301 Phone: (970) 259-2202 Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Satellite Office Farmington Location 3450 E Main St Farmington, NM 87402 Phone: (970) 259-2202 Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Satellite Office Cortez Location 22 S Beech St Cortez, CO 81321 Phone: (970) 259-2202 Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Satellite Office Pagosa Springs Location 190 Talisman Dr Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 Phone: (970) 259-2202 Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Satellite Office Aztec Location 121 S Main Ave Aztec, NM 87410 Phone: (970) 259-2202 Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Satellite Office Bayfield Location 49 W Mill St Bayfield, CO 81122 Phone: (970) 259-2202 Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Diabetic Eye Care
If you have diabetes, you know that effective management is key to preventing numerous potential complications. Four Corners Eye Clinic offers diabetic eye care in Colorado and New Mexico tailored to the patient’s unique needs and concerns. We have the diagnostic tools and professional experience to help keep your eyes their healthiest.
How Can Diabetes Affect the Eyes?
Although diabetes begins when the body cannot effectively process sugar, it’s ultimately an illness that can have systemic complications, especially when it goes untreated. Uncontrolled high blood sugar can affect the blood vessels in your eyes, leading to a condition called diabetic retinopathy — damage to the retina that’s directly related to diabetes.
Over time, diabetic retinopathy can worsen, causing permanent damage to the eye and even loss of vision. This occurs when blood vessels on the surface of the retina break and pull the retina away from its normal position. Called retinal detachment, this is a serious condition that requires medical attention.
Diabetic retinopathy typically presents as 1 of the following:
- Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy: This early stage of the condition often causes only mild or even nonexistent symptoms. This form of retinopathy occurs when blood vessels become weak but have not yet broken or caused scar tissue.
- Proliferative diabetic retinopathy: This more advanced version of retinopathy often causes noticeable visual disturbances. It occurs when blood vessels begin to grow abnormally.
Symptoms & Risk Factors
Diabetic retinopathy and other ocular conditions related to diabetes typically occur when diabetes is poorly managed. In order to diagnose these conditions and effectively treat them, our professionals recommend annual eye exams for patients with diabetes. Symptoms that can indicate damage include the following:
- Visual disturbances that come and go
- Floaters, spots, or shadows
- Pain in your eyes
- Early development of cataracts
People with type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes are all at risk for diabetic retinopathy and its complications, including diabetic macular edema.
Are you caring for someone with diabetes? Visit our Eye Care for Your Loved One page.
Personalized Care for Diabetic Patients
Dr. Karyn Teel is Four Corners Eye Clinic’s retina specialist. She provides diabetic eye care at our Durango and Cortez, CO, locations in addition to our clinic near Farmington, NM. As a fellowship-trained retina surgeon, she understands the science of treating this very important area of the eye. During your visit with Dr. Teel, she uses our advanced diagnostic tools to evaluate your eyes and help determine the degree of treatment or monitoring you require. Some common methods for evaluating the retina include visual acuity testing, ocular coherence tomography, and retinal photography and angiography.
If you don’t have a primary care physician to help you manage your diabetes, Dr. Teel can refer you to some area physicians who specialize in diabetes care.
Treatment for diabetic retinopathy may range from careful monitoring to laser-assisted surgery. In any case, Dr. Teel guides you through each of your options and ensures you’re well-informed before moving forward with any procedures.
Get started managing your vision today. Request an appointment in our Durango, Colorado, clinic online, or call us at (970) 259-2202 to schedule your visit. We also see patients at our locations in Cortez and Pagosa Springs, CO, as well as Aztec, NM.