· CDE Mehandi Sharma
Why Your Eyes Need Checking Every Year
The most important thing to know about diabetic eye disease is that your vision being fine proves nothing. There are usually no early symptoms when damage first develops.
This is why the recommendation is a dilated eye exam — drops that widen the pupil so the back of the eye can be examined properly. A vision test at an optician's is not the same thing, and a full dilated exam is the only way to know for certain.
How often
| If you have | First exam | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Type 2 diabetes | At diagnosis | Every year |
| Type 1 diabetes | Within 5 years of diagnosis | Every year |
What is being looked for
- Diabetic retinopathy — damage to the small blood vessels in the retina
- Diabetic macular edema — swelling at the centre of the retina, which affects central vision
- Cataracts and glaucoma, both of which are more common with diabetes
The number that should persuade you to go: finding and treating diabetic retinopathy early reduces the risk of blindness by 95%. Very few interventions in medicine are that effective, and this one requires an appointment once a year.
Risk is lowered by the same things that protect everything else — managing HbA1c, blood pressure and cholesterol, and not smoking.