The Importance of Diabetic Eye Exams
If you have diabetes, regular eye exams are an essential part of maintaining your overall health and preserving your vision.
People with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing certain eye conditions, including diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. These conditions can progress without noticeable symptoms, especially early on. The great news is that staying on top of your vision health starts as simply as booking your annual eye exam with us.
Early detection of eye issues and appropriate management can significantly reduce the risk of vision loss and help you maintain a high quality of life. We’re committed to giving you comprehensive diabetic eye care to help protect your vision for your whole life.
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How Often Do People with Diabetes Need Eye Exams?
Everyone’s eye care needs are different. Generally speaking, we like to see our patients at least once a year if they have diabetes, but a more frequent schedule might be better for you depending on your vision needs and overall health.
If you have diabetes, we’ll do a dilated eye exam. This allows your eye doctor to more clearly see your retina. Your eyes will be sensitive to light for several hours afterward, and you should not drive during that time, so please arrange for someone to bring you home after your exam.
If you have diabetes, Alberta Health covers the cost of 1 eye exam per year.
What to Expect During
Your Diabetic Eye Exam
During your diabetic eye exam at Visionary Eye Centre, your optometrist will conduct a thorough assessment of the internal and external structures of your eyes as well as your visual acuity.
Your diabetic eye exam generally includes:
- Visual acuity testing: Visual acuity measures how sharp your vision is and can detect vision changes caused by eye disease or other conditions.
- Dilation: Dilating your pupils provides a better view of the retina to see any signs of diabetic retinopathy or other eye conditions.
- Intraocular pressure (IOP) testing: Often called the “air puff test,” this measures your eye’s pressure. A higher than normal IOP can be a sign of glaucoma.
- Retinal imaging: Optos retinal imaging provides a much wider view of the retina than traditional methods alone, allowing your doctor to see any irregularities caused by diabetic retinopathy or macular edema.
- Peripheral vision testing: This measures how well the edges or sides of your vision work. Loss of peripheral vision can be a sign of diseases like glaucoma.
Optos optomap Retinal Imaging
for Thorough Care
We use Optos optomap retinal imaging as an essential part of all our comprehensive eye exams. We do not charge you an extra fee for retinal imaging.
This modern imaging technology provides a widefield view of the retina, allowing our optometrists to examine the back of your eye in greater detail than with traditional methods.
The other benefits of Optos optomap retinal imaging include:
- Earlier potential detection of eye diseases
- A more thorough and efficient exam experience
- Detailed images for enhanced diagnosis and management of eye conditions
- Baseline imagery we can compare over the years to better detect changes
The Risks of Diabetic Eye Disease
While the risks associated with diabetic eye disease can sound harrowing, they can be managed by taking care of your blood sugar and overall health. Your eye doctor at Visionary Eye Centre can work with you to make a plan to help protect your vision if you need support.
There are a few eye diseases and conditions that are more prevalent among people with diabetes.
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss associated with diabetes, affecting around 1 million Canadians. Diabetes can damage blood vessels in the body, including in your eyes. Specifically, high blood sugar can cause damage to the blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive structure in the back of the eye.
As the blood vessels are damaged, the retina grows new ones. But these new vessels break easily, causing them to leak fluids onto the retina, which then causes vision loss.
Symptoms are often mild or undetectable in the early stages, but in later stages, you may notice vision problems like spots and blurriness.
If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can progress to diabetic macular edema. Diabetic macular edema leads to more severe and rapid vision loss and is often the ultimate cause of blindness in people with diabetic retinopathy.
When you have diabetic retinopathy, fluids leak onto the retina. These fluids can cause swelling in the surrounding tissues, particularly in the macula, which is the central part of the retina. The macula is responsible for central vision so this swelling can lead to dramatic vision loss.
People with diabetes have an increased risk of glaucoma, and glaucoma can happen as a result of diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetes can damage blood vessels all over the body, and these changes to blood flow can impact the oxygen supply and nutrition to the optic nerve. This can make it more open to damage from high pressure or cause damage directly.
If you have diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, we will perform glaucoma testing to help catch any glaucoma-related vision changes early.
If you have diabetes, you’re generally at a higher risk of developing cataracts earlier than the general population.
An increase in blood sugar over time contributes to cloudiness of the eye’s lens, resulting in a cataract.
Cataracts are an eye condition, not a disease, and can be corrected with a very common surgery. We provide cataract surgery referrals and post-operative support.
Protecting Your Vision for Your Whole Life
Early detection and treatment are absolutely key to preventing or slowing vision loss from diabetic eye diseases. By keeping up with your regular diabetic eye exams at Visionary Eye Centre, you can take proactive steps to protect your vision and maintain your quality of life.
We are here to support you in maintaining healthy vision. If you have diabetes, schedule your comprehensive diabetic eye exam at Visionary Eye Centre today.
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Sherwood Park Location
You’ll find us at Synergy Wellness Centre, just off Bethel Drive, north of Baseline Road. Parking is $2, but simply provide your plate number at your appointment, and we’ll cover the cost.
Our Address
Synergy Wellness Centre
- 501 Bethel Dr. #101
- Sherwood Park, AB T8H 0N2
Contact Information
- Phone: 780 467-6688
- Fax: 780 467-6682
- Email: info@visionaryeyecentre.com
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Millwoods Location
You’ll find us in Millwoods Town Centre Professional Building, just off 29 Avenue and west of 50 Street NW. There is convenient parking available on-site, and the location is easily accessible by public transit.
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Millwoods Town Centre Professional Building
- 108 7319 29 Avenue
- Edmonton, Alberta T6K 2P1
Contact Information
- Phone: 780 960-1616
- Fax: 780 900-8380
- Email: millwoods@visionaryeyecentre.com
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* Saturday hours may vary, please call first
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