Eye Services
Dr. Benson's practice emphasis is on treatment of glaucoma, diabetic eye dises, macular degeneration, dry eye, and other eye problems in addition to providing quality eye care to all ages.
Meet Dr. Benson
Dr. Benson is both types of eye doctors: Optometrist AND Ophthalmologist. Practicing with the motto, "Caring for you, not just your eyes," he has been attending to his patients for more than 25 years.
Frequently Asked
What is an ophthalmologist?
Why should I see an ophthalmologist?
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Get these answers and more.
Diabetic Eye Disease
Approximately 29 million Americans age 20 or older have diabetes – but almost one-third don’t know they have the disease and are at risk for vision loss and other health problems. Early symptoms are often unnoticed, therefore vision may not be affected until the disease is severe and less easily treated. All diabetics should have a dilated eye exam at least annually.
Diabetic eye disease, a group of eye problems that affects those with diabetes, includes diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma. The most common of these is diabetic retinopathy, which affects 5.3 million Americans age 18 and older.
Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially blinding condition in which the blood vessels inside the retina become damaged from the high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes. This leads to fluids leaking into the retina and obstructing blood flow. Both may cause severe vision loss.
Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, schedule a complete dilated eye examination with your Eye M.D. at least once a year. Make an appointment promptly if you experience blurred vision and/or floaters that:
- Affect only one eye;
- Last more than a few days;
- Are not associated with a change in blood sugar.
Diabetes can also affect your vision by causing cataracts and glaucoma. If you have diabetes, you may get cataracts at a younger age, and your chances of developing glaucoma are doubled.
Early diagnosis of diabetes and, most importantly, maintaining strict control of blood sugar and hypertension through diet, exercise and medication, can help reduce your risk of developing eye disease associated with diabetes.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and Eye M.D.s want to remind those with diabetes to protect their vision by having a dilated eye exam every year.
- Diabetic eye problems are among the most common complications facing people with diabetes.
- Approximately 29 million Americans age 20 and older have diabetes. And almost one third are at risk for vision loss because they do not know they have the disease.
- Diabetic retinopathy, a degenerative disease of the retina (the sensitive area at the back of the eye), affects 5.3 million Americans age 18 and older each year.
- Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans.
- Your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy increases with the number of years you've had diabetes. After 15 years with the disease, almost 80 percent of people with Type 1 diabetes have some form of diabetic eye disease.
- Diabetic retinopathy can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease. For some people, diabetic retinopathy is one of the first signs they have diabetes.
- Diabetes can also affect your vision by causing cataracts and glaucoma.
Yearly dilated eye exams are crucial for protecting vision in people with diabetes.
- Early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy can usually prevent permanent vision loss.
- More than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not receive the recommended vision care and may be at risk for blindness.
- Call your Eye M.D. if you have diabetes and you notice vision changes that affect only one eye, last more than a few days or are not associated with changes in your blood sugar.
- Pregnant women with diabetes should have an eye exam in the first trimester – since diabetic eye disease can progress rapidly during pregnancy.
Keeping your blood sugar under control decreases your risks of many complications associated with diabetes, including eye disease.
- High blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the retina, which can lead to vision loss or blindness.
- Rapid changes in blood sugar can cause temporary changes in vision, even if diabetic eye diseases aren’t present.
- It's especially important to keep blood sugar in good control for a few days before being examined for glasses. Corrected lenses that work well when the blood sugar is out of control will not work well when the blood sugar is stable
