Diabetic Eye Exams
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Omphroy Eye Care
Luis C Omphroy, M.D.
Ophthalmology & Cataract Surgeon located in Aiea, HI
About one-third of diabetic adults over 40 have diabetic retinopathy, a serious eye disease that threatens vision. Because diabetes has serious damaging effects on the eyes, complete diabetic eye exams at Omphroy Eye Care in Aiea, Hawaii, are an essential part of your health care. Experienced ophthalmologist Luis Omphroy, MD, offers complete diabetic eye exams to identify and manage the damaging effects of diabetes.
Diabetic Eye Exams Q & A
What are diabetic eye exams?
In diabetic eye exams, Dr. Omphroy evaluates your eye health and vision, just as with a regular comprehensive eye exam. He pays special attention to the areas of the eye that diabetes typically damages.
A diabetic eye exam includes microscopic retina examination using a Haag-Streit slit lamp, retinal and optic nerve analysis with a Maestro optical coherence tomography (OCT) machine, and other tests that analyze the blood vessels, nerves, and other structures inside your eyes.
With an in-depth diabetic eye exam, Dr. Omphroy can potentially diagnose certain diseases long before you have any symptoms by observing changes in your eyes. He can also monitor your diabetes and formulate the right treatment plan.
What eye diseases are screened for during diabetic eye exams?
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease. This disease involves damage to your retina, the thin layer of light-sensing nerve tissue at the back of your eyes.
Diabetic retinopathy happens because of sustained high blood sugar, which damages the tiny blood vessels inside your retinal tissue. There are two forms of diabetic retinopathy:
Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR)
NPDR, or background retinopathy, is the early stage of the disease. In NPDR, the retinal blood vessels leak blood or fluid. This causes swelling and may trigger the growth of lipid deposits (exudates) on the retina.
NPDR doesn’t always cause serious symptoms or impact vision in the beginning. Macular edema, in which the macula part of your retina swells, and macular ischemia, in which retinal blood vessels close, can occur in the later stages of NPDR. Both can cause blurry vision.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR)
PDR is the more severe type of diabetic retinopathy. It occurs when you grow abnormal new blood vessels on your retina or optic nerve. The fragile new blood vessels frequently bleed, causing dark floaters in your visual field. With severe bleeding, you could lose your vision.
The abnormal blood vessels often rupture and cause scarring. This can damage the macula and could cause retinal detachment.
Dr. Omphroy can diagnose NPDR, PDR, and all their associated problems during diabetic eye exams. He also checks for eye diseases and conditions like glaucoma and cataracts, both of which often occur in diabetes sufferers.
How often do I need diabetic eye exams?
Dr. Omphroy recommends a schedule based on your specific vision and eye health needs. If your diabetes is well-controlled, you might need an exam once a year. If you don’t control your blood sugar or already have diabetic eye disease, you could need exams more often.
Keeping up with regular diabetic eye exams is vitally important. These exams allow you to get an early diagnosis so Dr. Omphroy can start your treatment and preserve your vision.
Book your diabetic eye exam by calling Omphroy Eye Care or scheduling online today.
