Diabetic retinopathy screenings are provided by your primary care ARC doctor or advanced practice clinician (APC) as part of your diabetes eye clinic care.
If you are a patient with diabetes, chances are you are aware of diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in all adults under 75. Whether you have Type 1, Type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes, you can get diabetic retinopathy. Early stages of diabetic retinopathy may present no symptoms, and vision changes may not occur until the disease progresses. In later stages, you may experience the following:
- Decreased or distorted vision
- Blurriness
- Fluctuations in vision quality
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Seeing spots or "floaters," shadows, or blind spots
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye, undergo changes. In some people, the retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In others, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retinas resulting in vision loss, blindness, or retinal detachment.
Fortunately, with today’s therapies, over 90% of vision loss is preventable or treatable. This is why Austin Regional Clinic offers annual diabetic retinopathy screenings to our patients with diabetes. Screening is easy, takes less than five minutes to complete, and does not require pupil dilatation or eye protection.
Although all patients with diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy, you may significantly reduce your risk of developing it. Better control of blood sugar slows the onset and progression of retinopathy and lessens the need for laser surgery for severe retinopathy.
While diabetic retinopathy is a serious condition, if caught early, it can be treated and prevent eye-light loss. It is important to stay up to date on eye screenings, especially for patients with diabetes. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can cause diabetic macular edema and neovascular glaucoma.
If you are an ARC patient with diabetes, make a diabetic retinopathy appointment today to discuss if you are a candidate for diabetic retinopathy eye screenings.