A Clear Line of Sight on Diabetic Eye Screenings

Those with diabetes often receive a recommendation from a primary care practitioner to receive annual eye screenings, but many people may not understand why they should follow through with the recommendation.

Diabetic eye screenings, in conjunction with all other community services and resources provided for those with diabetes, help to prevent lasting and irreversible damage from diabetes. So, if you have diabetes and want to protect your vision, eye screenings are incredibly important. Let’s further discuss why.

What Is a Diabetic Eye Screening?

Much as the name suggests, a diabetic eye screening is a test checking for any eye problems caused by diabetes.

Those with diabetes are at risk of diabetic retinopathy, a type of eye problem specifically due to diabetes, and if it is not found early, it can lead to a loss of vision. The benefit of diabetic eye screening is that it can find any problems with your eyes before they affect your sight.

What To Expect

During your eye test, the doctor will take pictures of the back of the eyes, looking for any changes. While it sounds complicated, it’s actually a very simple process.

When arriving for your screening, you may first be asked to read some letters on a chart to allow your doctor to gauge the current state of your vision. Then, you will have drops put into your eyes to dilate the pupils, which helps the doctor see to the back of your eye. You will then have to wait for about 15 minutes while the drops dilate the pupils. When the pupils are adequately dilated, you will notice that your vision becomes blurry.

At this point, your doctor will have you look into a camera, which takes pictures of the back of your eyes. And that’s it! You can expect the entire appointment to take around 30 minutes, which isn’t long when it comes to protecting your vision.

The Importance of Diabetic Eye Screenings

If the changes in your eyes are found early enough, doctors can potentially treat and/or halt disease progression, which is why regular screenings are so important. Because of this, annual screenings are recommended for anyone with diabetes who is 12 years of age or older.

When you have diabetes, there are many aspects of your life that you have to be careful with, and your vision is one of them. Thankfully, monitoring the state of your eyes is as easy as an annual diabetic eye screening, and Outreach Community Health Centers are here to help you get connected with your provider.

Do you have more questions? We can help you learn more about your diabetes and determine if this screening is for you! There’s a lot to consider when you have diabetes, but we're here for you if you’re unsure what to do next.