Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic (long-term) health condition that affects the way your body converts food into energy. Most of the food you eat is broken down into sugar (also known as glucose) and released into your bloodstream. When blood sugar levels rise, it’s a sign that the pancreas is releasing insulin.
What is a diabetic eye test?
A diabetic eye exam is a comprehensive assessment of the health of your retina and other parts of your eye that may be affected by diabetes.
Let’s review what a diabetic eye test is, what it involves and why it is so important.
What does a diabetic eye exam involve?
Diabetic eye exams can vary in length and scope, depending on what your eye doctor feels is necessary to successfully manage your condition.
For example, if you have just been diagnosed with diabetes and you have recently had a comprehensive eye examination which showed no signs of diabetic retinopathy, a follow-up diabetic eye examination may simply require your doctor to check the state of your retina.
But if you’ve had diabetes for several years and your doctor has already identified signs of retinopathy or other eye problems related to your disease, your diabetic eye exam may be more detailed and may even include some form of in-office treatment.
What does a diabetic eye exam involve?
Diabetic eye exams focus on any potential eye health problems that diabetes can cause, including:
Diabetic retinopathy, the main cause of blindness, occurs when the blood vessels in the eye start to leak. Untreated leakage worsens over time and causes varying degrees of blindness. Early detection and treatment can often save some or all of your vision.