Comprehensive eye exams do more than just protect your vision and eye health. They can also detect diseases such as diabetes and form a vital component of their management for those afflicted with it. Here's how.
One of the biggest misconceptions about eye exams is that they're just used to help assess your sight. While a vision and eye assessment are critical components of a comprehensive eye exam, this in-depth evaluation goes a lot further. It can even alert you to some surprising health concerns.
A common disease that eye exams can detect is diabetes. It can also show the effects of poor diabetes management in people who have the disease, prompting better treatment compliance, lifestyle changes, and medication changes when necessary.
Looking for a comprehensive eye exam in Calgary or Three Hills? My Optometrist Calgary has you covered! We're happy to announce that we are once again fully open following our brief closure due to the initial outbreak of COVID-19. We’ve taken the necessary precautions to ensure our customers and staff remain safe given these still uncertain times and are looking forward to seeing all our amazing patients again safely in person. Contact us today to book a comprehensive eye exam appointment in Calgary or Three Hills, and let's make sure you're still seeing clearly during this hazy period.
It's said our eyes are the window to our souls. But did you know your eyes also have a lot to say about your overall health? The blood vessels, optic nerves, and other highly complex structures located within your eyes can give your optometrist great insight into your health and well-being. They can even help detect diseases such as type 1 or type 2 diabetes, helping you receive care and treatment early on in their development.
The damage caused by diabetic eye disease — which is caused when blood glucose is higher than normal — can start during prediabetes. Discovering this early on through a comprehensive eye exam before you even know you have diabetes can be a huge help in limiting or reducing the effects diabetic eye disease has on your vision and eye health. It can also aid in getting you the medical treatment you need to effectively manage your diabetes so it doesn't cause other health problems for you in the future.
As diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada, with diabetics being at higher risk to develop cataracts at a younger age and them also being twice as likely to develop glaucoma, it's vitally important to keep on top of your eye health through annual comprehensive eye exams. Only through advanced and high-powered microscopes and tools can the earliest changes to your eye health be detected, which is why it's also very important to make sure you aren't just getting a vision assessment when you book your appointment.
WHY DIABETICS NEED TO SEE THEIR OPTOMETRIST REGULARLY TO SAFEGUARD THEIR SIGHT
We know it can be easy to overlook your annual eye exam, especially when your eyesight is performing optimally, and there have been no changes to it. But given the fact a comprehensive eye exam can uncover numerous eye and other health problems well before they become a bigger issue, it only makes sense to treat these crucial evaluations as part of your overall health-care plan.
If you are overdue for an eye exam in Calgary, be sure to contact us today to book your appointment.
If you need a comprehensive eye exam in Calgary or Three Hills, My Optometrist Calgary has you covered with our advanced eye care and experienced optometrists. Contact one of our My Optometrist Calgary clinics at either 403-256-0606 (Health First Optometry), 403-291-0923 (Sunridge Vision Centre), or 403-443-2040 (Three Hills Optometry) and book your appointment today.
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Q: What does a diabetic eye exam include?
Your optometrist will inject a fluorescent yellow dye into a vein of yours. This dye will then allow your optometrist to take photographs of your retina as the blood vessels are outlined by the dye. Your diabetic eye exam will also include checking for cataracts or glaucoma, as both are more likely to occur in diabetics.
Q: Can diabetes be detected in an eye exam?
If it is a comprehensive eye exam, then yes, your optometrist can detect diabetes by merely evaluating your eyes. This is usually discovered due to damage that has been caused to your retina from high blood sugar levels.
Q: How long does it take for diabetes to damage eyes?
There's no definitive answer to this question as everyone's eyes will react differently to the effects of diabetes. The important thing is that you become aware of your diabetes and take steps to limit the damage it can cause to your sight and overall eye health.
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