Diabetic Eye Exams

Have you been recently diagnosed with Diabetes? Do you have Type 1, Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2), or gestational diabetes? If you answered yes, you should have had a comprehensive eye health and vision exam on an annual basis.

Diabetic retinopathy affects the retina and its small blood vessels. It’s North America’s leading cause of preventable blindness in people aged 30-69 years of age. It is the leading cause of blindness in people aged 20-74. The damage to the blood vessels occurs without pain or early vision loss. It is therefore imperative to have regular eye exams, even in the absence of symptoms, for early detection and intervention to prevent permanent vision loss.

To minimize the risk, patients with diabetes should control blood sugar levels well through proper diet and exercise, follow their doctors prescribed medical therapy, and have their eyes examined at least once every year by their eye care professional. A 10-year study showed that people with insulin-dependent diabetes who strictly managed their blood-glucose levels experienced 76% less eye damage. A 1% decline in blood-glucose levels resulted in a 40% decline in risk of developing vision loss. Watch the animation below detailing diabetic retinopathy.

We employ the Eidon digital retinal camera, and are excited to also now offer OCT imaging and analysis to aid in the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy and treatment monitoring. OCT can detect macular edema sooner, and this is often when ophthalmological treatment is indicated.

A dilated fundus exam is part of the standard diabetic eye examination. Reports to your physician and endocrinologist will be sent following your visit. Your retinal images will be emailed to you at the conclusion of your visit.

We have partnered with altris AI to help in the timely diagnosis of retinal disease. This unique AI algorithm is trained on the biggest clinical dataset to help detect more than 100 retinal diseases with a cumulative accuracy of 91%. Patient-friendly reports on your individual scans can be generated for your own record-keeping and peace of mind.

Diabetic retinopathy is the number one cause of blindness for Canadians under 65. Evidence supports the use of supplements to improve eyesight, reduce vascular permeability, and improve contrast sensitivity. The antioxidant properties of the carotenoid pigments lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, as a group, work best. We recommend Early Defense vitamins for all of our patients with diabetes.

Early Defence eye health vitamin consists of a triple carotenoid macular pigment formula is indicated for diabetic eyes, early AMD, and those patients not suitable for the AREDS2 formulation. It has several positive outcomes: increases macular pigment density to improve and protect eyesight at the earliest signs of maculopathy; reduces vascular permeability in diabetic patients and helps maintain visual performance in healthy eyes. A recent study found a positive benefit in night vision function from certain carotenoid consumption compared to a placebo.

Patients with diabetes are also more prone to developing cataracts at an earlier age. Daily use of sunglasses and strict blood glucose control is recommended. To learn more, visit our blog post on the topic.

Book your annual eye exam here.