Diabetic Eye Exams | Howard Optometry

A Comprehensive Approach to Your Eye Health & Vision

If you have diabetes, your body cannot or does not use insulin as it should, leading to high blood sugar. High blood sugar can cause significant damage to your sight if left unaddressed. However, we’re here to help manage your diabetes and protect your ocular health.

Visit one of our locations, and we can help care for your eye health and vision. Our team takes a thorough approach during every eye exam to help identify changes in your vision as early as possible.

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What Happens During Your Eye Exam?

The best way to care for your eyes when you have diabetes is to schedule annual eye exams. These exams are essential for diagnosing and managing eye disease related to diabetes and protecting your eye health and vision.

Eye exams for patients with diabetes function like a standard eye exam, but we pay extra attention to your eye’s internal structures. Our team uses diagnostic technology to examine your eyes in detail and identify the earliest signs of eye-related problems.

Our Diagnostic Technology

We use several diagnostic tools during your eye exam to help assess your eyes and diagnose problems as early as we can. These tools include dilated eye exams, optical coherence tomography, and the Optos Optomap.

Dilated Eye Exam

A dilated eye exam is a thorough look at your eye’s internal structures, such as the optic nerve and retina. We use dilating eye drops to open up your pupil, allowing us to see the eye more easily.

Optical Coherence Tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive test for measuring the different layers of the retina. These images are beneficial for helping us identify changes in your eye health and symptoms of eye disease as early as possible.

Opto Optomap

The Optos Optomap is a retinal imaging tool for identifying signs of eye disease in its earliest stages. The Optomap can take images of the retina and optic nerve to help us diagnose glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.

Diabetes-Related Eye Diseases

Diabetic eye disease is a common concern if you have diabetes. While listed as a disease, diabetic eye disease is an umbrella term for conditions that develop because of diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that can significantly affect your vision and eye health. It occurs when damaged blood vessels leak fluid and blood into the retina.

These blood vessels leak because of the damage caused by high blood sugar, leading to potential vision loss. As this condition progresses, it can cause further bleeding, scarring, or other complications.

Diabetic Macular Edema

Diabetic macular edema is a complication of diabetic retinopathy caused by leaking fluid in the retina. This leaking fluid causes the macula to swell, affecting your central vision, the things you see right in front of you. Continued damage to the blood vessels in the eye can lead to permanent vision loss.

Helping You Manage Your Eye Health & Vision

Diabetes can significantly affect your overall health and eyes, but we can help manage this condition and preserve your sight. With annual eye exams, we can track changes in your vision and identify problems before they cause further damage.

Book an appointment when it’s time for your annual eye exam.