Special Considerations for Diabetes

Diabetes affects the whole body, including your eyes. Annual eye exams become that much more important for those with diabetes, as diabetes can increase your risk of developing other ocular diseases. If you have diabetes, you have an increased chance of developing cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Diabetes can also cause diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. All of these diseases can lead to vision loss and blindness.

A Diabetic Exam

Everyone should have regular eye exams, but they’re especially important for people with diabetes. Those with diabetes should have an eye exam at least once per year. At your exam, we’ll thoroughly examine your eyes for diseases linked to diabetes by testing your peripheral vision, checking your eye pressure, and examining the retina and optic nerve using specialized equipment and diagnostic techniques.

Optical Coherence Tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is used to obtain a clear picture of the structure of your retina and optic nerve, allowing us to check for any signs of diseases like age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma.

Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable vision loss in adults in North America. If you have diabetes and it’s been over a year since your last exam, book an appointment today.