Diabetes is a systemic disease that affects how your body produces or uses insulin. Insulin is a natural hormone produced by the pancreas and helps process sugar in your bloodstream into energy. Without insulin, sugar remains in the bloodstream and can damage your entire system.
Diabetic eye exams focus on detecting signs of eye diseases caused by diabetes and aims to prevent them from causing long-term vision impairments. If you have diabetes, you must undergo annual eye exams to preserve your vision. Please call us to book your appointment or ask questions about our diabetic eye exam process.
Your ocular health is vital, and diabetes puts it at risk. To ensure those who need this essential eye care get it, OHIP covers the cost of an eye exam for insured individuals with specific health conditions like diabetes. OHIP also pays for any related follow-up appointments you may need before your next eye exam.
Anyone with diabetes is at an increased risk of developing several eye conditions. And the longer you have diabetes, the higher your risk is. Diabetes increases your chances of developing cataracts and glaucoma, and even temporary changes in blood sugar levels can lead to blurry vision.
If blood sugar is too high for too long, it can cause blockages in your retinal blood vessels, preventing blood flow and leading to diabetic eye disease.
Anyone with type 1 or 2 diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy progresses slowly and can go unnoticed until significant vision loss occurs.
During the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, the eye’s blood vessels weaken, bulge, and leak into the retina. As it progresses, it becomes proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Blockages of the retinal blood vessels cut off blood supply to the retina, causing the eye to grow new, abnormal vessels to compensate. These abnormal blood vessels are weak and can cause serious complications, including vision loss.
Diabetic macular edema is a complication of diabetic retinopathy. It occurs when high blood sugar levels cause the macula, the part of the retina responsible for detailed, central vision, to swell. Over time, macular edema can damage your central vision, leading to sight loss.
At Leet Meldrew Eye Care, we’ve invested in cutting-edge technology to provide precise, accurate diagnoses. The following diagnostic tools allow us to detect even the smallest signs of diabetic eye disease accurately.
Retinal photography uses a specialized low-power microscope with an attached camera to take high-definition images of the eye’s interior surface. With its detailed images of the retina, macula, and optic disc, retinal photography is a useful tool for diagnosing and monitoring many eye diseases.
Visual field testing is used to diagnose, assess the severity of, and monitor glaucoma. It evaluates vision loss caused by glaucoma and medical conditions like stroke by mapping your central and peripheral vision.
At Leet Meldrew, we use 2 types of visual field tests: Humphrey and frequency doubling technology.
The Heidelberg Retinal Tomography (HRT) machine is a non-invasive tool used to diagnose, monitor, and manage glaucoma. Using a special laser, the HRT takes 3-dimensional photographs of the optic nerve and retina.
Gonioscopy is a non-invasive tool used to check the drainage angle between your iris and cornea. This angle is difficult to see during traditional tests, so a gonioscopy is an essential tool for diagnosing and monitoring various eye conditions.
The best way to prevent vision loss or blindness associated with diabetes is to undergo annual eye exams. In some cases, comprehensive eye exams can also detect undiagnosed type 1 or 2 diabetes.
If you have diabetes or have a family history of diabetes, please book a comprehensive eye exam with us today.
You can find us in the professional building on Kingston Road between Orchard Valley Court and Valley Farm Road. Our office is Suite 214, adjacent to the Pickering YMCA Employment and Community Services.
Leet Meldrew Eye Care
