Diabetic Eye Exam Specialist

What is a diabetic eye exam?

During a diabetic eye exam, your eye doctor examines your eye health and vision for problems that could be caused by diabetes. The Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts team keeps in constant contact with your endocrinologist while monitoring you for diabetes-related eye problems.

What are common diabetic eye conditions?

Common diabetes eye conditions include diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts. Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Diabetes-related eye problems often show up when high blood sugar levels are left untreated. These conditions damage the blood vessels in your eyes.

More than 40% of people with diabetes have some type of eye disease. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits, including eating healthy foods, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular exercise, can help control your blood sugar and reduce your risk of developing eye problems.

Eye diseases related to diabetes often develop without noticeable eye pain or vision problems, so routine diabetic eye exams are necessary. If you have diabetes, getting your eyes examined at least once a year can prevent permanent eye damage.

What happens during diabetic eye exams?

During a comprehensive diabetes eye exam, your eye doctor uses a visual acuity test and refraction testing to assess your vision at various distances. They dilate (widen) your pupils and then look inside your eyes to determine if you're suffering from any eye diseases. Your eye doctor examines your optic nerve and retina using a magnifying lens.

They measure the pressure inside your eyes during glaucoma screening and could use an imaging procedure like an MRI to get an in-depth view of your eye. With routine screenings, your physician can detect diabetic eye diseases early before serious complications develop.

What are my eye disease treatment choices?

Common treatments available for eye diseases at Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts include:

• Healthy lifestyle changes
• Proper blood sugar control
• Blood pressure-lowering treatments
• Cholesterol-lowering treatments
• Scatter laser treatment surgery
• Focal laser treatment
• Surgery
  
  

Your eye doctor can perform laser or surgical procedures after applying anesthetic drops to numb your eyes. While not a cure, treatments for diabetic eye conditions can reduce the vision loss caused by advanced eye diseases.

If you have diabetes and are due for your yearly diabetic eye exam, trust the Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts team to provide you with exceptional care. Call the office nearest you today to schedule an appointment or book one online.