How An Eye Specialist Can Detect Diabetes Before A Patient Knows About It
When visiting an eye specialist Fort Worth patients will find that they specialize in procedures such as LASIK surgery, cataract removal, treatment of eye diseases and/or glasses prescription. However, an interesting fact that many people do not realize is that eye doctors can also detect a wide range of common health problems even before a patient knows that he or she has the problem in question. Health problems that show up when a person has an eye exam include diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and even certain types of cancer. How Eye Doctors Diagnose Diabetes While there are many symptoms of diabetes, some people have fewer and/or less intense symptoms than others. However, one particularly common symptom is diabetic retinopathy. This condition is characterized by blood and/or other fluids seeping from small veins in the back of the eye. People who have this condition often have vision problems, but may not associate these problems with diabetes because the blood leakage is not visible to the naked eye. However, eye specialists use special tools to examine the eye and can see the loss of blood. When this happens, the specialist will recommend that a patient immediately get a diabetes test from his or her doctor. Eye doctors also ask patients detailed questions about aspects of their health that may not seem immediately related to eye problems. These questions are important as they enable an eye doctor to be aware of not only the possibility of a person getting diabetes but also predispositions to other conditions that could affect one’s eyesight. The cataract surgeons, regular eye doctors and even LASIK doctors DFW patients visit regularly can all tell if a person has diabetes even before the individual in question suspects that he or she may have this conditi Continue reading >>
An Eye Test For Diabetes
A snapshot of the retina could detect cell damage in the early stages of diabetes. Diabetes messes with the body’s metabolism, which can result in devastating complications like nerve damage, kidney disease, and vision loss. By capturing a snapshot of the eye, scientists in Michigan say that they can pick up telltale signs of metabolic stress in the retina caused by diabetes. They say that the new imaging technology may offer a quick, noninvasive way of detecting the disease early and monitoring its progress. “With just a minute in an optometrist’s office, you might be able to detect metabolic stress in the eye, refer the patient to an endocrinologist, and get a diagnosis,” says Howard Petty, a biophysicist and imaging expert at the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center and one of the authors of a study that appears in the latest issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology. The study focused on patients with diabetes, but Petty says that the screening technology should be able to identify people with prediabetes–a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal and that often progresses to full-blown diabetes. The researchers are beginning clinical trials this fall, using the system on diabetics and prediabetics. “It’s an intriguing idea that you could detect early diabetes by looking for the changes that result from blood sugar, in the eye,” says John Buse, president of Medicine and Science at the American Diabetes Association, who was not involved in the work. Petty, together with Victor Elner and other colleagues at the University of Michigan, used a sophisticated camera system coupled with customized imaging software to detect fluorescence given off by oxidized proteins in dying cells in the retina. The 21 diabetics in their study h Continue reading >>
Diseases Your Optometrist Can Detect | Sugarloaf Eyecare
Surprising Diseases Your Optometrist Can Detect You likely know that when you obtain your annual eye exam, your optometrist examines your eyes for eye diseases, including glaucoma and cataracts. However, you may not realize that optometrists are often the first doctors to detect many serious diseases that affect the entire body. Read on to learn how your optometrist gets a look into many aspects of your full-body health when performing your eye examination and learn about a few diseases that eye doctors can detect during routine eye examinations. How Diseases Can Be Detected During an Eye Exam While your optometrist is busy checking out your eye health, they have a great view of the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue in your eyes. These tissues cannot be viewed in any other area of your body without invasive tests or scans. While the appearance of these tissues help them detect eye problems, they also help them detect illnesses affecting your entire body. 3Diseases That Optometrists Often Spot First While there are many diseases and illnesses that an optometrist can detect during an eye exam, here are just a few of the surprising diseases your eye doctor can detect. An estimated 7.2 million people in the United States actually suffer from type 2 diabetes and don't even know it. That is often because a person can have type 2 diabetes for years and not experience any symptoms. However, early treatment is important to limit the damage diabetes can inflict on your entire body.Optometrists are often the first health care professionals to detect type 2 diabetes in people who otherwise do not know they have it. If they detect blood vessels in the retina that are leaking blood or other fluid, this is a telltale sign that a patient may already be developing diabetic r Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Diabetic Retinopathy: Q&a
Q&A Menu To find the Q&As most helpful to you, please click on one of these subjects: How Does Diabetes Affect Eyes? Q: How does diabetes affect your eyes? — L.L., Connecticut A: Diabetes causes problems in the retina with what are collectively called microvascular abnormalities. The small blood vessels develop microaneurysms and leak blood. New blood vessel growth (neovascularization) occurs. Unfortunately, these blood vessels are weak and also leak. These leaks (hemorrhages) can cause irreversible damage to the retina and permanent vision loss. Patients with controlled diabetes do better than those with uncontrolled diabetes. However, even a person whose diabetes is under perfect control can still develop diabetic retinopathy — hence, the need for yearly retinal exams. — Dr. Slonim Q: Does diabetic retinopathy get progressively worse? — F.R. A: Yes. When left unrecognized and untreated, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and eventually lead to blindness. Diabetic retinopathy can even get worse despite use of the best treatments that currently exist for it. — Dr. Slonim Q: My father has type 2 diabetes and he is seeing double. We went to the hospital about a week ago and they said the diabetes had affected a nerve on the right eye. Can medicine get his sight back to normal? — W.C. A: Diabetes can affect any one of the three cranial nerves that are responsible for movement of the eyes. Diabetes is one of the more common conditions associated with sixth nerve (Abducens nerve) palsies. Paralysis of this nerve affects the lateral rectus muscle that allows the eye to look outward. There is no specific medicine for this. The paralysis can be temporary and last a few months or it can be permanent. — Dr. Slonim Q: Can diabetes cause you to have eye infections suc Continue reading >>
A Comprehensive Eye Exam Can Detect Diabetes
A Comprehensive Eye Exam Can Detect Diabetes A Comprehensive Eye Exam Can Detect Diabetes A Comprehensive Eye Exam Can Detect Diabetes; A Disease That Six Million Americans Dont Know That They Have Diabetes is becoming an epidemic because of the obesity crisisin the United States. In fact, 17 million Americans suffer from diabetes. Of these people, one-third are unaware that they have the disease. With a dilated, comprehensive eye examination,an optometrist can detect and diagnose diabetesand start you on the road to treatment for the disease. Through a comprehensive dilated eye exam, we can look inside the eye and examine blood vessels directly, detecting signs and symptoms of vascular diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Undiagnosed, diabetes can result in vision impairment, a frequent complication of both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes, and blindness. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20-74 years old. Other vision problems caused by diabetes include: vision changes, glaucoma, cataracts and retinopathy. Part of living with diabetes and successful eye care is having a dilated eye examination on at least an annual basis more often if you have existing eye issues or more serious retinopathy. Certainly, if you experience any change in vision, you should immediately see your optometrist. For someone who has been diagnosed with diabetes, the annual dilated exam is important.When we do an examination, Im looking at the retina for early signs of diabetic retinopathy, such as leaking blood vessels, retinal swelling, and deposits on the retina all of which are signs of leaking or damaged blood vessels. An optometrist is an important member of your health care team particularly if you have been diagnosed with diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is as Continue reading >>
Diabetes Discovery – Via The Eyes
Did you know that an eye exam can be the first clue to detecting diabetes and other hidden health concerns? Finding health issues early can give patients a better chance at preventing damage through early treatment and management. A routine eye exam can show so many things. Some can be downright life changing – and life-saving – for that matter. One doctor found out first-hand when she did the same thing she does every day – she looked into a patient's eyes. But this was no ordinary exam. When Kathleen Clary, OD, peered into her 48-year-old patient’s eyes, she saw blood and other fluids seeping out of fragile and miniscule vessels in her retinas. The retina is the light and sight-sensing back part of the eye – and without it, you don't see. “As soon as I noticed the leaking fluids and the hemorrhaging, I suspected that they might be symptoms of diabetes,” recalls Dr. Clary, who practices in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Ashburn, Virginia. “In my 12 years of experience as an eye doctor, that kind of bleeding usually signals that a buildup of sugar in the patient’s bloodstream has begun to break down the capillaries that feed the retina. The result is often what we call diabetic retinopathy – a condition in which continuing damage to retinal tissue from diabetes can lead to impaired vision or even blindness, if left untreated.” The eye exam was the very first clue the patient had that she might have diabetes. Dr. Clary talked with her patient about what she saw and explained what it could mean. “I want you to have your blood sugar level checked right away by your family doctor,” she told her patient. “Tell the doctor you need to be evaluated for diabetes with a fasting blood sugar test, because your optometrist noticed some retinal bleeding. Continue reading >>
Diabetes Eye Exams
Diabetes can harm your eyes. It can damage the small blood vessels in your retina, or the back of your eye. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes also increases your risk of glaucoma and other eye problems. You may not know your eyes are harmed until the problem is very bad. Your doctor can catch problems early if you get regular eye exams. This is very important. The early stages of diabetic retinopathy don't cause changes in vision and you won't have symptoms. Only an eye exam can detect the problem, so that steps can be taken to prevent the retinopathy from getting worse. Even if the doctor who takes care of your diabetes checks your eyes, you need an eye exam every 1 to 2 years by an eye doctor who takes care of people with diabetes. An eye doctor has equipment that can check the back of your eye much better than your regular doctor can. If you have eye problems because of diabetes, you will probably see your eye doctor more often. You may need special treatment to prevent your eye problems from getting worse. You may see two different types of eye doctors: An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who is an eye specialist trained to diagnose and treat eye problems. An optometrist is a health care provider trained to diagnose and treat problems with your vision. Many can do screening exams for damage from diabetes. Once you have eye disease caused by diabetes, you need to see an ophthalmologist. The doctor will check your vision using a chart of random letters of different sizes. This is called the Snellen chart. You will then be given eye drops to widen (dilate) the pupils of your eyes so that the doctor can better see the back of the eye. You may feel stinging when the drops are first placed. You may have a metallic taste in your mouth. To see the b Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy - Exams And Tests
Diabetic retinopathy can be detected during a dilated eye exam by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. An exam by your primary doctor, during which your eyes are not dilated, is not an adequate substitute for a full exam done by an ophthalmologist. Eye exams for people with diabetes can include: Visual acuity testing. Visual acuity testing measures the eye's ability to focus and to see details at near and far distances. It can help detect vision loss and other problems. Ophthalmoscopy and slit lamp exam. These tests allow your doctor to see the back of the eye and other structures within the eye. They may be used to detect clouding of the lens (cataract), changes in the retina, and other problems. Gonioscopy. Gonioscopy is used to find out whether the area where fluid drains out of your eye (called the drainage angle) is open or closed. This test is done if your doctor thinks you may have glaucoma, a group of eye diseases that can cause blindness by damaging the optic nerve. Tonometry. This test measures the pressure inside the eye, which is called intraocular pressure (IOP). It is used to help detect glaucoma. Diabetes can increase your risk of glaucoma. Your doctor may also do a test called an optical coherence tomography (OCT) to check for fluid in your retina. Sometimes a fluorescein angiogram is done to check for and locate leaking blood vessels in the retina, especially if you have symptoms, such as blurred or distorted vision, that suggest damage to or swelling of the retina. Fundus photography can track changes in the eye over time in people who have diabetic retinopathy and especially in those who have been treated for it. Fundus photography produces accurate pictures of the back of the eye (the fundus). An eye doctor can compare photographs taken at different ti Continue reading >>
Vision Screenings Vs. Eye Exams: Why Are Eye Exams Important?
Is it really that important to have routine eye exams? What if you just passed a vision screening at work or school — do you still need an eye exam? Here are a few important differences between vision screenings and eye exams — and why routine eye exams are so important even if you've passed a vision screening. Vision Screenings Are Not Eye Exams Vision screenings are not comprehensive eye exams. Screenings usually take only a few minutes and are often performed by volunteers who are not eye care professionals. In many cases, vision screenings are nothing more than a visual acuity test where you're asked to identify the smallest letters you can on a vision chart across the room. Vision screenings typically are designed to only detect subnormal visual acuity and major vision problems — as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. They generally are ineffective for detecting more subtle vision problems and potentially sight-robbing eye diseases. People who fail a vision screening (usually because their visual acuity is worse than 20/40) are made aware of this and are encouraged to visit an eye doctor so they can have their vision problem professionally diagnosed and treated with eyeglasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery. Eye exams, on the other hand, are performed by licensed eye doctors (an optometrist or ophthalmologist) and evaluate not only your visual acuity, but also the complete health of your eyes, from front to back — including checking for early signs of serious eye problems such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and detached retina. Your eye doctor also can detect early signs of serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and risk of stroke, based on the appearance of delicate blood vessels and other structures within Continue reading >>
10 Health Risks Detected By Eye Exams
Eyes are the window to the soul.. and your overall health as well! Having a regular eye exam has helped people prevent countless diseases that most people don’t even know have any connection with the eyes: diabetes, arthritis, cancer, etc. The eyes really do tell all and often signal a problem in its early stages before it would be detectable anywhere else. Your eye doctor can find warning signs long before your family doctor can discern a problem. For this reason, it is vitally important for everyone to have a regular eye exam. Most people are unaware of the benefits of a routine eye exam. According to a weather.com article, there are 13 general health problems that can be detected in their early stages in the eyes. Keep in mind that this list is by no means comprehensive. Cancer Often we talk about the importance of wearing sunglasses. The reason this is so highly stressed is because just like your skin, your eyes are vulnerable to ultraviolet rays. About 5-7% of the population will get a freckle at the back of their eye. Freckles in the eyes need to be monitored just like freckles on the skin to ensure that they don’t grow or change shape. For this reason, both a yearly eye exam and wearing sunglasses are very important. Diabetes An eye doctor can detect diabetes before your doctor! Small specks of blood in the back of the eye indicate an unhealthy blood sugar level, which is a symptom and cause of diabetes. Rheumatoid Arthritis Often times when people come to the eye doctor complaining of dry or burning eyes, it is an early sign of rheumatoid arthritis. Other symptoms include dry mouth and chronic joint pain. Coming in for a yearly eye exam could help you catch arthritis early and take steps to alleviate the pain. STDs The most common STD that eye doctors are ab Continue reading >>
Can Your Optometrist Detect Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious medical condition that occurs when a person’s body produces too much insulin. However, one of the biggest dangers with diabetes is that there may be no symptoms until the disease reaches a later stage. But your eye doctor may be able to detect very early and before you even experience symptoms. Why Is It So Important To Detect Diabetes Early? Diabetes should be treated as soon as it is detected. If left untreated, diabetes can result in total permanent blindness. According to the researchers, when diabetes is detected early, with a timely treatment and proper follow-up, the risk of vision loss from the retinopathy is reduced by 95%. How Does The Doctor Examine My Eyes? There are several parts to a general eye exam. The first part is a simple conversation between the patient and a doctor. The doctor asks the patient about known illnesses she or he may have or be at risk for. The eye doctor also asks if there are any signs of complications or problems. The second part is a general visual activity test, which involves reading letters and numbers of different sizes off a chart. The patient stands 20 feet away from the test chart, and the doctor asks the person to read what she or he can see. The numbers get smaller with every new line, and the patient should cover one eye while reading the lines. This test tells the doctor the prescription strength, if necessary, that the patient will need for corrected vision. The last part of the exam is the eye pressure test. The doctor puts dye in the eye that enlarges the pupils. Then doctor examines different parts of the eye and ensures that everything is functioning properly. There are also other tests that may be necessary during the exam. Color acuity test, glaucoma screenings, and retinal examinations are Continue reading >>
7 Health Problems Eye Exams Can Detect
Did you know that an eye exam can be as effective as a physical in determining your health? Unfortunately, many Americans put off going to the eye doctor if they feel like their vision has not changed. Comprehensive eye exams are important for many reasons. Your eyesight may change very gradually over time, and you may not even know that you need a stronger prescription. Your eye doctor will also perform several tests during the eye examination that will rule out eye disorders such as glaucoma, cataracts or retinal problems. Along with eye-related concerns, eye doctors may even be able to detect other health issues during a comprehensive eye exam. In fact, you may even find yourself leaving the eye doctor with a referral to another specialist because of a specific test that your ophthalmologist performed during your comprehensive eye exam. Here are just a few health issues that may be discovered during an eye exam: Diabetes— Diabetes affects the small capillaries in the retina of the eyes. These blood vessels may leak blood or a yellowish fluid, and this may be discovered in an eye exam. If your eye doctor notices this condition, you may have a condition called diabetic retinopathy. Hypertension— Blood vessels in the eye may exhibit bends, kinks or tears, and this may be an indication of high blood pressure. Autoimmune disorders— If the eye is inflamed, this may be a sign of Lupus or another autoimmune disorder. High cholesterol— The cornea may have a yellowish appearance or a yellow ring around it which can be a sign of high cholesterol. There also may be plaques in the blood vessels of the retina which could indicate elevated cholesterol. Thyroid disease— One of the telltale signs of thyroid disease are bulging eyes or protruding eyeballs. This condition is Continue reading >>
How Eye Exams Can Help Detect And Manage Diabetes
Over the course of the next nine years, 6.4 million Canadians will be diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. What’s more, one third of Canadians today already have diabetes or prediabetes and many don’t know it. November is Diabetes Awareness Month and optometrists are encouraging everyone to have their eyes checked. You may be thinking to yourself, ‘What does diabetes have to do with my eyes?’, the Canadian Diabetes Association explains: “Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness in Canada. People with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts at a younger age and are twice as likely to develop glaucoma, but diabetes’ effect on the retina is the main threat to vision.” A comprehensive eye exam conducted by an eye doctor can not only lead to early detection of diabetes (type 1 and 2), but it can also reveal the effects of poor diabetes management to existing diabetics, indicating a need for lifestyle and diet changes, better compliance with treatment, or medication modification. One of the most common misconceptions about eye exams is that they’re only testing your sight- this isn’t the case. Here are the key differences between a sight or screening test and a comprehensive eye exam: Sight test or screening test (performed by a non-doctor)- Only measures how well you can see and individual is not trained or licensed to test or diagnose the eyes. VS. Comprehensive eye exam (performed by optometrist or ophthalmologist) - Only an eye doctor can conduct a comprehensive eye exam. A high-powered microscope is used to examine the tiny structures inside of your eyes, including a close-up look at your blood vessels, optic nerves, and other complex eye structures, all of which may contain clues to conditions that could pose a serious risk to your health, s Continue reading >>
Diabetic Eye Disease: Diagnosis, Causes, And Symptoms
By Debra A. Sokol-McKay, MS, CVRT, CDE, CLVT, OTR/L, SCLV Diagnosing Diabetic Eye Disease How Diabetes Affects the Eyes and Vision: Diabetic Retinopathy Eye Examination Guidelines Diagnosing Diabetic Eye Disease Diabetic retinopathy usually has no early warning signs. It can be detected only through a comprehensive eye examination that looks for early signs of the disease, including: Leaking blood vessels Macular edema (swelling) Pale, fatty deposits on the retina Damaged nerve tissue Any changes to the retinal blood vessels To diagnose diabetic eye disease effectively, eye care specialists recommend a comprehensive diabetic eye examination that includes the following procedures: Distance and near vision acuity tests A dilated eye (or fundus) examination, which includes the use of an ophthalmoscope. In a dilated eye examination, it is the pupil that is dilated—not the entire eye. This allows the examiner to see through the pupil to the retina. Visual acuity tests alone are not sufficient to detect diabetic retinopathy in its early stages. A tonometry test to measure fluid pressure inside the eye. A fluorescein angiography test, if more serious retinal changes, such as macular edema, are suspected. Fluorescein angiography is an eye test that uses a special dye and camera to look at blood flow in the retina. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) testing may be used to gain a clearer picture of the retina and its supporting layers. OCT is a type of medical imaging technology that produces high-resolution cross-sectional and three-dimensional images of the eye. Also, an Amsler Grid test can detect early and sometimes subtle visual changes in a variety of macular diseases, including diabetic macular edema. The first image below shows an Amsler Grid as seen with unimpaired vis Continue reading >>
Regular Eye Exams Can Detect Diabetes
Many people in Ireland may have type 2 diabetes without being aware of it, however regular eye exams could help detect the condition, opticians have said. Currently, over 190,000 people in Ireland have some sort of diabetes, with many more thought to be undiagnosed. One of the most serious complications of the condition is diabetic retinopathy, a disease of the eyes that can lead to blindness if left untreated. "People with diabetes are 10 to 20 times more likely to go blind than someone without the condition, due to diabetic retinopathy. However, if this condition is detected early through an eye examination and treated, blindness can be prevented in 90% of cases," explained Noel Meehan, chairperson of optician group, Specsavers Ireland. Opticians are trained to look out for signs of diabetes during regular eye examinations. According to Kieran O'Leary, CEO of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland, it is ‘vital' that people with diabetes are diagnosed as early as possible ‘to help reduce their risk of developing complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and blindness'. "A simple eye test can help with diagnosis," he said. Mr O'Leary added that if people are found to have signs of diabetes during an eye exam, they should immediately visit their GP for a simple blood test to diagnose the condition. Symptoms of diabetes include urinating more often than usual, especially at night, increased thirst, extreme tiredness, unexplained weight loss, slow healing of cuts and wounds and blurred vision. Adults are recommended to have their eyes tested every two years and eye tests are free of charge for people with medical cards or those entitled to PRSI treatment benefit. World Diabetes Day is being held today. For more information on eye health, see Irishhealth. Continue reading >>
