Diabetic Eye Exams

Diabetes is a condition that impacts millions. This disease prevents the body from managing sugar properly, resulting in excess sugar in the bloodstream. If left untreated, several issues can occur, including damage to the tiny blood vessels in your body. This includes those found in your eyes.

Unfortunately, having diabetes makes you more prone to eye and vision problems. To lower the chances of experiencing complications, it’s important to receive routine eye exams. Luckily, the specialists here at Point Vision Care are here to help! With several years of experience in the industry, we understand how to provide trusted and dependable diabetic eye exams.

What are diabetic eye exams?

Diabetic eye exams are similar to standard eye exams, but there are a few differences to consider. Your eye doctor will look closely at the health of your retina, including the integrity of your eye’s blood vessels. The specialist accomplishes this with a series of tests, which may include the following:

Pupil dilation
Vision test
Fluorescein angiography
Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
Fundoscopy
Glaucoma test
Fundus photography

Here at Point Vision Care, we’re focused on maintaining your eye health and preventing serious problems. We use advanced tools and years of industry knowledge to properly assess your eyes and vision.

Importance of Routine Eye Exams

One of the main purposes of diabetic eye exams is to detect certain eye conditions in their early stages. If these issues are left untreated, you could run into serious problems down the road, including vision loss. That said, it’s extremely important to have routine eye exams and screenings. Many eye issues related to diabetes are much more treatable early on.

Health professionals advise diabetic patients to receive regular eye exams once a year. Additionally, speak with your doctor about how often you should undergo screenings for certain eye conditions.

Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy

This condition is the most common cause of vision loss among those with diabetes. It happens when excess sugar in the blood damages the small blood vessels in the retina, the back layer of the eye. In the early stages of the condition, this is referred to as nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. Blood vessels start to weaken and leak in this phase, and the symptoms are typically mild or nonexistent. However, if left untreated, these issues could become much worse. The next stage of progression, called proliferative diabetic retinopathy, can even lead to vision loss and retinal detachment.

Maintain Healthy Eyes and Vision

Aside from preventing diabetic retinopathy, diabetic eye exams also help to maintain healthy eyes and vision. Routine exams allow eye doctors to understand the condition of your eyes, including any useful medical history. Seeing these specialists regularly can help these experts better diagnose and treat eye conditions. Routine visits can also save you money by treating issues early on. If you fail to see the eye doc and your condition progresses, treatment is often more expensive.

Preparing for a diabetic eye exam

If you’re about to undergo an eye exam, no prior preparation is needed. However, many eye doctors will encourage you to manage your blood sugar and maintain glycemic control as best you can during your appointment.

Once the doctor starts the process of pupil dilation, it takes about 20-30 minutes for your eyes to fully dilate. However, keep in mind the dilation could last anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. It’s normal to experience light sensitivity and blurry vision for a few hours following your appointment. Therefore, you shouldn’t drive or operate machinery.

If you need a diabetic eye exam, Point Vision Care has you covered. Our eye doctor has nearly 30 years of experience in the industry, and she has helped several diabetic patients with their important needs.