What to Expect From a Diabetic Eye Exam at 

4i’s Optical

Diabetes can cause several issues with your body, but did you know diabetes can also affect your vision and eye health?  This condition can cause low blood circulation and lead to infections, but you can also develop diabetic retinopathy and suffer from vision loss or even blindness. 4i’s Optical in Alpine, TX, can help diagnose diabetic retinopathy by administering a diabetic eye exam. We are here to explain what happens during this exam and how we can treat your eye and vision problems caused by diabetes.

What Happens During the Exam?

Your eye doctor can utilize multiple methods to examine your eyes and determine your vision health during a diabetic eye exam. Here are some of the most frequent techniques your eye doctor will use to examine your eyes during this exam:

• Pupil dilation: Your eye doctor will put drops in your eyes to enlarge your pupils. Doing this allows them to see the inside of your eye and what your optic nerve, blood vessels, and retina look like. The effect usually takes about half an hour.

• Rabin Cone Contrast Test (CCT): Using color and contrast, a quantifiable measure of color vision, allowing detection of both hereditary and acquired color vision loss. The Rabin CCT explains how well the cones are operating and to detect shifts that may indicate the onset of eye disease.

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT): OCT imaging is used to view retinal layer structures with precision, along with fundal photography, increases the sensitivity of detecting diabetic macular edema and identifies earlier, and therefore facilitates earlier intervention and improved outcomes.

        • Visual acuity test: This test will show how well you can see letters from multiple distances. This test can use a                chart on the wall or a video.

The length of your diabetic eye exam depends on the severity of your condition and whether your eye doctor has already noticed signs of diabetic retinopathy in the past. Talk with your eye doctor to better understand the methods used during the exam and how long it will take to complete.

Treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy

What happens if your optometrist finds signs of diabetic retinopathy? The steps they take depend on the stage of your diabetic retinopathy. Your optometrist may elect to monitor your eyes and schedule regular exams if your condition is in the early stages. More advanced diabetic retinopathy may require prompt treatment.

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy may include injections or photocoagulation. They can use injections in your eyes to stop the growth of new blood vessels and keep fluid from building up. Photocoagulation uses a laser to slow blood leakage in your eyes. Talk with your optometrist to determine which treatment best suits your visual needs.

Visit Your Optometrist Near You in Alpine, TX, for a Diabetic Eye Exam Today

Diabetes can significantly impact your eye health and vision if you do not schedule regular diabetic eye exams, so contact 4i's Optical in Alpine, TX, to protect your eye and vision health today. We can detect diabetic retinopathy and provide treatment that prevents vision loss or blindness through diabetic eye exams, so call us and schedule an appointment at (432) 837-3699 to keep your vision strong.