What are the symptoms of sickle cell retinopathy?
• Usually there are no symptoms in the early stages • Damage has already happened when vision problems occur. How to prevent sickle cell retinopathy: Eye examinations by a special eye doctor (Ophthalmologist) need to be done once a year starting at age 7 years. This doctor will put drops in your child’s eyes to dilate (open up) the vessels in the eye so they can be looked at with a special machine. Always tell the eye doctor that your child has sickle cell disease so they can look for retinopathy. How to treat sickle cell retinopathy: • If caught early, most problems can be treated by the eye doctor. • Laser treatments may be used to correct some problems. • Surgery is sometimes needed. Call the sickle cell nurse or doctor at 816-234-3265 (Monday-Friday, 8am -5pm) for any questions about sickle cell retinopathy.