Diabetic Retinal Exams
What is retinopathy?
Sometimes, having diabetes can cause other health problems. Retinopathy is an eye condition caused by diabetes that affects the retina and can lead to poor vision or blindness. The retina is the layer of cells at the back of your eye. This layer senses the light that comes into your eyeball and sends signals to your brain. Having high blood sugar over long periods of time can damage the blood vessels in your retina which can lead to retinopathy. There are usually no symptoms in the early stages of this disease.
Treatment cannot cure diabetic retinopathy but the disease can be prevented. There are lots of things you can do to prevent retinopathy or keep it from getting worse. Keeping your blood sugar and blood pressure in their target ranges can help you avoid it or slow the damage. Regular retinal exams are key to preventing damage to your eyes.
Why are diabetic retinal exams important?
If retinopathy is caught early, there are treatment options that can help prevent or delay vision loss. You can get screened for retinopathy during a complete eye exam by a trained eye professional. Having retinal eye exams regularly can help find retinopathy before it changes your vision. On your own, you may not notice symptoms until the disease is severe.
What is the exam like?
The exam is a simple, painless procedure. Your doctor will use eye drops to widen, or dilate, your pupils. The exam checks for any vision problems and checks your vision at different distances. This makes it easier for your doctor to check your retina.
You can also be screened using retinal photography if you live in an area where you don’t have access to a trained eye professional. This can usually be done in a doctor’s office, and then the images are read by a qualified eye care professional. Talk to your doctor about where you can find retinal photography screening if it’s needed.
How often should you go?
If you have type 1 diabetes, your doctor will recommend you get a screening within 5 years of your diagnosis. If you have type 2 diabetes, you’ll get a complete eye exam when you are diagnosed. If there are signs of retinopathy, plan to get screened once per year. If there’s no sign of retinopathy and your blood sugar is well-managed, your doctor will recommend you have a screening every 1 or 2 years.
If you’re pregnant or planning to get pregnant, it’s important to talk to your doctor about screening. Retinopathy can get worse during pregnancy. But your doctor can talk to you about ways you can decrease that risk. Remember, screening can help you prevent retinopathy or keep it from getting worse. And if you have any questions, you can always talk to your doctor.
If you have diabetes and have never had an eye exam or if it’s been two years since your last eye exam, call your doctor to ask about retinopathy exam today!
If you need help scheduling your exam or finding a provider, call Member Services toll-free at 1-877-814-1861 (TTY/TTD 1-833-556-2560 or 711), Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5p.m or send a message through your online Member Account at qrco.de/CCHmemberportal