Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes increase the risk of eye complications over time, some of which can lead to blindness.
Diabetic patients should receive regular eye examinations regardless of the severity of their eye disease.
How diabetes affects the eyes
Diabetes affects your eyes primarily by damaging nerves and blood vessels. An eye exam can help determine the location of the damage, focusing on the retina, which is located at the bottom of the eye.
The retina converts light signals into electrical signals, which are passed through the optic nerve to the brain, which converts them into the images you see.
The macula is a part of the retina, the area with the sharpest vision, and is supplied with nutrients by the blood vessels of the retina.
Long-term uncontrolled diabetes can damage these blood vessels, leading to diabetic retinopathy. The degree to which macular function and vision are affected may vary from person to person.
People with diabetes are also more likely to develop glaucoma, in which increased intraocular pressure can damage the optic nerve, causing vision to slowly worsen and eventually lead to complete loss of vision.
Once you find out you have diabetes, you need to get an eye exam immediately.
How often should I have an eye exam?
In order to protect their eyesight, every diabetic patient needs to undergo fundus-related examinations.
Adult patients with type 1 diabetes are recommended to have a dilated eye examination within 5 years after diagnosis, and then once a year.
Once type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, get an eye exam right away. Thereafter, you will need to have an eye exam every year. If the results are normal, some ophthalmologists will recommend exams every 1-2 years. Those with mild lesions should be examined once a year, and those with moderate lesions should be examined every 3-6 months. Those with severe lesions should be examined every 3 months.
If a diabetic patient is pregnant, she needs to have an eye examination in the first three months of pregnancy and again one year after delivery. Talk to your ophthalmologist about the effects of pregnancy on your eyes.
What does an eye examination include?
Eye exams are painless and very simple. A comprehensive eye exam usually includes the following:
1. Vision test: that is, visual acuity measurement, reading the letters on the vision chart from near to far.
2. Visual field test: The range of space that your eyes can see when looking straight ahead.
3. Eye muscle function test: Check whether the muscles around the eyeball function normally. Move a small gaze target, such as a pen, in front of your eyes and observe whether your eye movements follow the target.
4. Pupillary response test: illuminate the pupil with flashlight light and observe the changes in the pupil.
5. Intraocular pressure test: One method is to use an instrument to spray a slight airflow onto the eyeball to measure intraocular pressure. Another method is to use a special tool to gently press the eyeball to estimate the intraocular pressure. Both methods are painless.
6. Mydriasis: This examination allows the ophthalmologist to comprehensively examine the fundus of the eye. Mydriatic drops are used to enlarge the pupil, allowing light to enter the eye, making it easier to see the retina and check for eye disease. Eye drops take 30-60 minutes to take effect.
Currently, many hospitals can also perform eye examinations without dilation. The key to keeping your eyes healthy is to get regular eye exams and keep your diabetes under control.
