Diabetic Eye Care
The annual exam that protects your sight
Elevated blood glucose damages the smallest blood vessels in the body, and the retina holds some of the most delicate vasculature anywhere. Vessels leak, close off, and eventually trigger the growth of fragile new vessels that bleed. None of this produces symptoms until it is well advanced.
OPTOS ultra widefield imaging captures a large area of retina in a single photograph, including the peripheral regions where diabetic changes often appear first and where conventional imaging does not reach. OCT angiography visualizes blood flow through the retinal capillary networks without any injected dye, revealing areas of non perfusion at a stage where they can still be acted upon.
Diabetic macular edema, the most common cause of vision loss in diabetes, is measured directly on OCT.
Working with the rest of your care team
The diabetic eye exam is a required part of standard diabetes care, and your findings are reported back to your endocrinologist or primary care physician after every visit. Retinal changes are also a useful marker of how systemic control is going, so the information moves in both directions.
If treatable disease is found, we coordinate referral to a retinal specialist for injection or laser therapy without delay. For most patients, though, the annual visit confirms that nothing has changed, and that documentation carries real value over time.
Annual examination is the minimum. Patients with existing retinopathy, longer disease duration, pregnancy, or difficult glycemic control are seen more frequently.
Widefield imaging and OCT angiography detect diabetic retinal change at a stage where treatment still preserves sight.
