When you think of an eye exam, you likely imagine an appointment that measures whether you need new glasses. But did you know that eye exams go beyond updating prescriptions or checking for glaucoma? That’s right: comprehensive eye exams performed by optometrists can detect systemic diseases like diabetes, brain tumours, brain injuries, and even cardiovascular diseases.
Regular comprehensive eye exams are important because many diseases do not show explicit symptoms until they have progressed to a more challenging stage. By staying up to date with your eye exams, you can take a proactive step towards protecting not only your eyes, but your overall general health.
Your Eyes & Your Overall Health
An eye exam goes beyond assessing your eyewear prescription. It can detect:
- Eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and eye tumours
- Systemic, whole-body diseases like diabetes, brain tumours, and cardiovascular conditions that increase your risk of stroke
During an eye exam, health professionals use technologies to peer into the blood vessels and connective tissues of your body that aren’t normally visible. For example, abnormal blood vessels and bleeding near the back of the eye can be a sign of hypertension or high blood pressure. Meanwhile, pressure caused by a brain tumour can show up as abnormal changes to the optic nerve.
Eye health exams are important because many diseases don’t show apparent symptoms until they’ve advanced to a more challenging state to treat.
Diabetes & Your Eyes
Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar in your body. People with diabetes either cannot make insulin or use it ineffectively, leading to deregulated blood sugar levels. This in turn can damage organs, nerves, and blood vessels.
Diabetes has measurable impacts on the eye. People with diabetes may experience the following (not an exhaustive list):
- Blurry vision, double vision, or even vision loss
- Early onset of presbyopia, otherwise known as age-related farsightedness
- Early onset of cataracts
- Eye diseases like glaucoma, retinal detachment, and diabetic retinopathy
What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of type 1 or type 2 diabetes. In diabetic retinopathy, high blood sugar levels cause blood vessel damage, leaking and swelling, and abnormal blood vessel growth. It is a significant cause of vision loss.
Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy may be very mild and difficult to notice at first. People may also experience:
- Floaters
- Light flashes
- Blurry vision
- Pockets of black in one’s vision
- Vision loss
People at higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy include those who have high blood sugar, high cholesterol, are pregnant, or have had diabetes for a long time.
How Comprehensive Eye Exams Can Detect Diabetes
If you’re at risk of diabetic retinopathy, prioritize keeping your blood sugar under control. It’s also important to visit your optometrist for comprehensive eye exams that monitor the health of your eyes.
What Happens During an Eye Exam
Ask your optometrist about getting a dilated eye exam if you want a more thorough assessment of your eye health.
During a diabetic eye exam, your optometrist may dilate your pupils. This involves instilling a few drops into your eyes to make your pupils larger. Your optometrist then uses an instrument to see the structures at the back of your eye.
Dilation lets in more light into your eye, allowing your optometrist to see more of your retina, which contains light-sensitive cells at the back of your eye. Therefore, dilation helps your optometrist assess the health of blood vessels in your retina.
Side effects of dilation include discomfort from the eye drops and sensitivity to light. We recommend arranging a ride home after a dilated eye exam.
Accessing Diabetic Eye Exams in Alberta
People with diabetes should receive at least one eye exam a year. In Alberta, eye exams for people with diabetes are covered by Alberta Health Care. To be considered for this coverage, be sure to say you are booking a diabetic eye exam when you make your appointment.
Ways to Help Prevent Diabetes
Concerned about diabetes? There are other ways you can protect yourself:
- Prioritize healthy eating. Diabetes Canada suggests following the DASH diet or the Mediterranean diet.
- Manage your weight. Obesity puts people at increased risk of developing diabetes, but losing just 5% of your body weight if you have obesity may prevent type 2 diabetes.
- Get moving. Exercise regularly and avoid sitting for long periods of time.
- Get regular eye exams. Visit your optometrist for regular eye exams even if you don’t have diabetes because eye exams can catch many diseases at an earlier, more treatable stage. Most adults ages 20 to 64 can benefit from an eye exam every 2 years, but your optometrist may recommend a higher frequency if they deem you at increased risk of certain diseases.
Protect Your Vision, Protect Your Health
Our eye care team at Calgary Trail Vision Centre appreciates that health is holistic: when we look at your eyes, we’re not just looking for a nearsightedness prescription. We’re looking at the health of your whole body. Using modern technologies, we can peer into the complex, inner structures of your eyes and assess your visual and whole-body health.
Due for a comprehensive eye exam, diabetic eye exam, or need a check-up for your child? Contact us to book an appointment today.