Diabetic Eye Exams | River Valley Eye Care

Protect Your Vision from Diabetic Complications

People with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing vision problems. We recommend that those with diabetes have annual, comprehensive eye exams. Taking a proactive approach to health is important, especially if you’re dealing with diabetes.

Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness in adults. With the help of modern technologies and tailored strategies, we can manage how diabetes affects your eyes and help preserve your vision.

Book your diabetic eye appointment today, and let us help you protect your sight!

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What Is a Diabetic Eye Exam?

Diabetes is a health condition that affects how your body processes sugar in your bloodstream. It can raise the risk of several health concerns, including some that affect your eyes.

During a diabetic eye exam, we look at parts of your eye that diabetes can affect, like your retina and its blood vessels. Using widefield retinal imaging, we can generate highly detailed images of the inside of your eye to help us detect potential issues related to diabetes.

Diabetes can actually be first detected by an optometrist, as changes in your eyes can alert us to the presence of the condition. It’s just one more reason why regular eye exams are vital for your overall health.

If you have diabetes, or if it runs in your family, book an appointment for a diabetic eye exam today. Your health comes first.

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How Does Diabetes Affect Vision?

Diabetes can lead to serious vision problems and even blindness, so it’s important to book an annual eye exam to check for any changes.

Visual issues caused by diabetes may include the conditions in the drop-down menu. Click each one to learn more.

Blurry Vision

Your body adjusting to diabetes medication or changes in your health routine can lead to blurry vision.

Elevated blood sugar can lead to a buildup of fluid in the eyes. Normally, the extra fluid is temporary, and your eyes will return to normal as your blood sugar stabilizes. But, you should still visit your optometrist to rule out more serious issues.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy often progresses slowly and may not present visible symptoms until irreversible vision loss occurs. The blood vessels in your retina swell as blood sugar levels elevate.

In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, blurry vision is a common symptom. As the condition progresses, it gets more serious. Blood vessels break and bleed, leaking into the macula and causing vision loss.

Diabetic Macular Edema

Diabetic macular edema occurs when the macula swells. The macula is responsible for your central vision, so impairment can impact the ability to read, write, drive, and recognize faces. This condition is quite serious and can lead to blindness.

Retinal Detachment

In severe cases of diabetic retinopathy, the damage to the blood vessels can lead to scarring of the retina. As the scarring grows, the damaged tissue can pull on the retina, eventually causing retinal detachment, which has a high risk of permanent vision loss or blindness.

Glaucoma

Diabetes increases the risk of developing glaucoma, a group of eye diseases that impair the optic nerve responsible for transferring visual information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma damages the nerves, causing gradual vision loss that can lead to permanent blindness.

Glaucoma can progress https://opto.ca/eye-health-library/glaucoma, which is why regular diabetic eye exams are crucial for evaluating your visual health, including optic nerve function.

Cataracts

Cataracts are cloudy, thick spots that form on the eye’s lens. The lens allows the eye to focus at different distances, and when it loses transparency, vision becomes blurry. While age causes the lens to naturally become less flexible and transparent, high blood sugar levels can trigger structural changes in the lens, resulting in early cataract development.

Book Your Diabetic Eye Exam Today

If you have diabetes, it is imperative that you get your eyes examined regularly. Close examination of the retina can help to detect any early signs of serious vision problems.

Book Appointment