Diabetic Eye Exams at Eyes & Optics

Diabetes can affect more than your blood sugar. It can also impact the health of your eyes and increase your risk of developing serious vision problems. Regular dilated, diabetic eye exams are an important part of protecting your eyesight and identifying potential complications before they affect your vision.

At Eyes & Optics, we provide comprehensive diabetic eye exams in Farmington Hills for patients throughout Metro Detroit. Our doctors use advanced diagnostic technology to monitor your eye health, detect early signs of diabetic eye disease, and help protect your vision for years to come.

Why Are Diabetic Eye Exams Important?

Diabetes can cause changes in the blood vessels and tissues inside your eyes, sometimes before you notice any symptoms. Even if your vision seems perfectly clear, damage may already be developing.

Regular comprehensive diabetic eye exams allow our doctors to monitor these changes and identify potential problems early, when treatment may be most effective.

Diabetes can increase your risk of several eye conditions, including:

• Diabetic retinopathy
• Diabetic macular edema
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma

Early detection, appropriate treatment, and good diabetic management can significantly reduce the risk of vision loss.

What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that develops when blood sugar changes damage the small blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye.

In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy often causes no noticeable symptoms. As the condition progresses, damaged blood vessels may leak fluid or blood, affecting the retina and potentially causing permanent vision loss.

Symptoms of more advanced diabetic retinopathy may include:

• Blurry or fluctuating vision
• Dark spots or floaters
• Areas of missing or distorted vision
• Sudden changes in vision

Because diabetic retinopathy can develop without warning signs, regular dilated, diabetic eye exams are essential even when your vision seems normal.

Advanced Technology for Diabetic Eye Care

At Eyes & Optics, we use advanced diagnostic technology to evaluate the health of your retina and monitor changes over time.

Retinal Photography Including Optomap

Retinal photography allows our doctors to capture detailed images of the back of your eyes, including the retina and its blood vessels. Our office has widefield retinal imaging with optomap that allows even better imaging than standard retinal photography.

These images help us document your eye health, identify abnormalities, and compare changes over time.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

Optical Coherence Tomography, or OCT, is a non-invasive imaging technology that provides detailed cross-sectional images of the retina.

OCT allows our doctors to examine the different layers of retinal tissue and detect microscopic changes such as retinal swelling or fluid accumulation that may not yet affect your vision.

Together, retinal photography and OCT provide valuable information for the early detection and ongoing monitoring of diabetic eye disease.

What Happens During a Diabetic Eye Exam?

A diabetic eye exam involves more than checking your vision or updating your glasses prescription.

Our doctors perform a comprehensive evaluation of your vision and eye health, with particular attention to the retina and other structures that may be affected by diabetes. An annual dilated eye exam is the standard of care for patients with diabetes.

We can also communicate relevant findings to your primary care physician or endocrinologist to help coordinate your overall diabetes care.

If we identify signs of diabetic eye disease that require additional treatment, we'll discuss the findings with you and recommend appropriate follow-up care or referral to a retinal specialist.

How Often Should You Have a Diabetic Eye Exam?

The recommended schedule depends on the type of diabetes you have, how long you've had it, and whether any diabetic eye changes are present.

General recommendations include:

Type 1 Diabetes: An initial dilated eye exam within five years of diagnosis, followed by annual dilated eye exams.

Type 2 Diabetes: A dilated eye exam at the time of diagnosis, followed by annual dilated eye exams.

Patients with diabetic retinopathy or other eye complications may require more frequent monitoring.

Because diabetic eye disease can progress without symptoms, it's important not to wait until you notice changes in your vision to schedule an examination.

Protecting Your Vision When You Have Diabetes

Regular eye exams are only one part of maintaining healthy eyes when you have diabetes.

Managing your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol can also help reduce your risk of developing diabetic eye complications.

Working closely with your healthcare providers and following your recommended eye exam schedule gives you the best opportunity to identify changes early and preserve your vision.

Schedule a Diabetic Eye Exam in Farmington Hills

Whether you've recently been diagnosed with diabetes or have been managing it for years, regular eye care is an important part of protecting your long-term vision.

At Eyes & Optics, our doctors provide personalized diabetic eye care using comprehensive examinations and advanced retinal imaging to help monitor your eye health.

​​​​​​​At Eyes & Optics, we're proud to provide personalized eye care for individuals and families in Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Commerce Township, West Bloomfield, Walled Lake, Livonia, Northville, Orchard Lake, Plymouth, Wixom and surrounding Metro Detroit communities.