Diabetes is a serious condition that can affect multiple parts of the body, including your eyes. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with diabetes, scheduling an annual diabetic eye exam is essential. These exams can help detect and prevent vision-threatening eye diseases before they cause lasting damage.
Diabetic eye exams help detect diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes is primarily associated with having high blood sugar, which can negatively impact nearly all parts of your body, including your heart, nerves, feet, stomach, brain, and more. Diabetes can also affect your eye health.
It’s estimated that about 9.6 million people in the United States are living with a disease called diabetic retinopathy. According to the National Eye Institute, “Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that can cause vision loss and blindness in people who have diabetes. It affects blood vessels in the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of your eye).”
Diabetic retinopathy usually doesn’t have early symptoms, but some people may experience vision changes like difficulty reading or seeing far away. In later stages, bleeding in the eye can cause floating dark spots or cobweb-like streaks. Without treatment, scarring and chronic bleeding can occur.
The condition can also lead to serious complications, including:
- Diabetic macular edema (DME): Blurry vision caused by fluid leaking into the macula.
- Neovascular glaucoma: Vision loss from blocked eye fluid drainage due to abnormal blood vessel growth.
- Retinal detachment: Vision-threatening damage from scar tissue pulling the retina away from the eye.
Scheduling regular diabetic eye exams is a vital step in preventing permanent vision loss.
What happens during a diabetic eye exam?
A diabetic eye exam is much like a standard comprehensive eye exam, but with a closer focus on the health of your retina and the blood vessels in your eyes.
During the diabetic eye exam, your eye doctor will test your visual acuity, check the pressure in your eyes, and dilate your pupils to allow for a clear view of the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels.
Note: The dilation process takes about 30 minutes and involves eye drops that may temporarily blur vision and cause light sensitivity.
If needed, additional tests like fluorescein angiography may be performed. This test uses a special dye injected into your arm to highlight damaged blood vessels in the eyes, which are then photographed for further evaluation.
The American Diabetes Association recommends annual diabetic eye exams to monitor the health of your eyes. However, it’s important to contact your eye doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:
- Sudden blurriness or double vision.
- Flashing lights, dark spots, or missing areas in your field of vision.
- Sudden appearance of numerous floaters.
- Pressure or pain in the eyes.
- Red streaks appearing in your vision.
- Sudden difficulty reading or focusing on nearby objects.
- Worsening night vision.
Diabetic eye exams help protect your vision
Living with a diabetes diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but taking small steps, such as scheduling annual diabetic eye exams, can help you take charge of your vision health. Protecting your eye health is simple with vision insurance. Discover Delta Dental of Colorado’s vision plans today.