Diabetic Eye Exams in Spanish Fort

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common forms of diabetic eye disease. The conditions affect the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye that turns light into signals that your brain decodes, helping you see.

With unmanaged diabetes, high blood sugar levels damage the eyes’ tiny blood vessels, causing them to rupture and leak into the eye. This is an early stage of diabetic retinopathy called nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. The fluid leaked from the damaged blood vessels causes the retinal tissue to swell, resulting in blurred vision.

As diabetic retinopathy worsens, new, abnormal blood vessels can grow on the surface of the retina. This stage is called proliferative diabetic retinopathy and can lead to serious vision problems.

During your eye exam, we’ll also use a diagnostic test called optical coherence tomography to take images of your retina. Optical coherence tomography is a non-invasive test that uses light waves to take cross-sectional images of your retina.

The cross-section view of your retina allows us to evaluate your retina’s thickness and its distinctive layers. During the test, you’ll rest your head on a support to keep it still, and the machine will scan your eye. The scan takes around 10 minutes, and most patients report little to no associated discomfort from the test.

We’ll likely dilate your pupils before using optical coherence tomography, so your eyes will be sensitive to light for several hours following the exam.