What is Involved in a Diabetic Eye Exam

Posted on: July 15, 2017

Diabetic Eye Exam

If you have diabetes, call our clinic to schedule a diabetic eye exam. We perform them on a regular basis to ensure that there are no significant changes to the eyes. As with anything, early detection and treatment are important for helping to delay the spread or increase of a condition. This is true for eye problems just like it is true for diabetes in general.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that many people with diabetes have. Regular eye exams can help to diagnose it by looking for changes in the blood vessels. When there are changes to the blood vessels in the retina, it can indicate that this condition is present. For a diabetic, there are ways to help prevent this condition. Since diabetic retinopathy can develop from uncontrolled blood sugar, it is important to exercise dietary restraint.

Patients also need to follow a physician's recommendations for the use of insulin and other medications. Essentially, when the body is exposed to high blood glucose, the walls of the blood vessels in the eye are impacted and this is the primary cause for the condition.

The exam

During a diabetic eye exam, the eyes are dilated by our optometrist. Afterward, we will test the eye's ability to see details at far distances along with the ability for the eyes to focus. We will also examine the back of the eye and structures within the eye. This is important for diabetics since we need to determine if any changes have been made to the blood vessels.

We will then need to check the fluid in the eyes along with eye pressure. All of these tests are necessary to determine if the eyes are healthy. In a diabetic eye exam, we care about the clarity of vision but have more concerns with eye health. Eye health is something that a patient cannot diagnose on their own to determine whether or not it is deteriorating.

As eye care professionals, we are the only ones who can adequately assess the health of the eye and take steps to treat them. With diabetics who have diabetic retinopathy, there are additional tests like fundus photography that can keep track of what is happening with the eye over time.

Make an appointment

We recommend that patients schedule a diabetic eye exam every year. Since diabetes can make changes to the eye rather rapidly, this is important for eye health. While there is no set cure for diabetic retinopathy, there are treatments that can prevent severe vision loss with laser treatments and various surgeries.

These treatments are most effective with early diagnosis and treatment before extreme vision loss. If you are a diabetic and are experiencing rapid vision loss, this is a sign that you need to visit our clinic immediately. It is critical to schedule exams regularly in any case. To do so, call our office today