Many people don’t consider the way general health conditions can impact their eyes, but many health conditions the public are familiar with can actually affect eye health and vision. High blood pressure, cancer, and even diabetes can all impair eye health. Not only can health conditions affect our eyes, but our eyes can help medical professionals detect health conditions elsewhere in the body. A comprehensive eye exam can help your optometrist detect diabetes as well as eye conditions caused by diabetes, such as diabetic retinopathy. Here is how comprehensive eye exams can lead to the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy as well as the early detection of diabetes.
Comprehensive Eye Exams And Diabetes
Diabetes Detection And Eye Exams
Eye exams are for more than just monitoring your vision. Comprehensive eye exams look at the health of your eye to determine if you are developing any eye conditions, and these can be related to other aspects of health. Even if you have no other apparent symptoms, your optometrist may detect the earliest signs of certain health conditions and recommend further assessment or intervention. Some people with diabetes have no idea they have developed this condition until an optometrist notices signs of a condition called diabetic retinopathy developing within the eye. If your optometrist does detect signs of this, they will notify you and suggest you visit your family practitioner to have blood work to determine your blood sugar levels. By observing the earliest signs during a comprehensive eye exam, you can start getting the help you need to manage diabetes, lower your blood sugar, and reduce the risk of further symptoms.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that is caused by high blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are too high, it can damage the delicate blood vessels within the eye, weakening them and causing bleeding. New, abnormal blood vessels can then develop in the eye, but these are often poor quality and tend to leak. As it progresses, diabetic retinopathy can lead to vision loss and retinal detachment. Another potential issue that can develop from diabetic retinopathy is called macular edema, where the macula (the central part of the retina) swells and causes blurry vision. Although the damage caused by diabetic retinopathy is permanent, catching this eye condition early gives you a chance to manage your diabetes and slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetes Management And Comprehensive Eye Exams
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you need regular comprehensive eye exams. Having your eyes examined will monitor your diabetic retinopathy, which is also an important part of diabetes management. If your diabetic retinopathy is rapidly progressing, your blood sugar is likely not being properly controlled.
Want to know more about diabetes and your eyes?
Read The Main Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments for Diabetic Eye Diseases.
Comprehensive Eye Exams In Calgary
Comprehensive eye exams are important for the detection of various health conditions, not only diabetes. A comprehensive eye exam can provide insight about your overall health as well as your eye health and vision. At Blink Eyewear, our optometrists use the most up-to-date technology to give you top-quality eye care and we ensure that you are informed about your eye conditions so we can create a collaborative disease management solution together. With three convenient locations in Crowfoot in NW Calgary, West Springs in SW Calgary, and Creekside in NW Calgary, Blink Eyewear can offer you great optometry services throughout the city. To book an appointment with Blink Eyewear, call 1-403-516-2292 or fill out the online contact form.