Diabetic Eye Exams | Oakville, ON | Bronte Village Eye Care

A Proactive Approach to Vision Protection

Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness in Canada, so people with diabetes need to be especially proactive about caring for their eyes.

People with diabetes have a higher-than-average risk for serious diseases and conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. Since many diabetic eye diseases may not present noticeable symptoms in their early stages, regularly scheduled eye exams are vital for anyone living with diabetes.

If you or a loved one is living with diabetes, be proactive about your health and book an eye exam today.

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How Often Do I Need an Eye Exam?

Early diagnosis of eye diseases provides more treatment and management options to protect and preserve your vision. As many eye conditions develop without noticeable symptoms, eye exams are the most reliable way to catch problems early.

We recommend that children and adults living with diabetes schedule a comprehensive eye exam at least once a year.

Eye Diseases Caused by Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that impacts your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels. Over time, consistently elevated blood sugar can lead to damage to your blood vessels, including the delicate ones in your eyes.

The eye disease most directly connected to diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which occurs due to the damaged blood vessels in the retina (back of the eye). However, diabetes can also increase your risk of developing glaucoma or the early formation of cataracts.

Click on each title to learn more about these different conditions.

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when unregulated blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina. Fluid can leak from these damaged blood vessels into the retina, causing blurry vision. Diabetic retinopathy is often asymptomatic in its early stages, meaning you don’t realize you have a vision problem until it progresses.

If left untreated, this fluid can also leak into the macula, which is the part of the retina responsible for your central vision and most of your colour vision. This condition is called diabetic macular edema.

Damage to the macula can significantly impact your quality of life, affecting your ability to read, write, drive, and recognize faces. However, diabetic retinopathy is manageable if caught early, so annual diabetic exams are imperative to safeguard your eyesight.

Glaucoma refers to a group of eye diseases characterized by damage to the optic nerve. High intraocular pressure (IOP), or internal eye pressure, is often, but not always, present in those with glaucoma. Living with diabetes nearly doubles your likelihood of developing glaucoma.

Glaucoma usually occurs without obvious symptoms, often until permanent vision loss begins. Peripheral (side) vision is impacted first, but glaucoma can eventually result in total blindness if left untreated. Routine eye exams measure eye pressure and check your visual field (peripheral vision) to screen for signs of glaucoma that might otherwise be missed.

Cataracts occur when the natural lens in your eye becomes cloudy and opaque. Cataracts are a normal result of aging. However, people with diabetes are 2–5 times more likely to develop cataracts and may develop them at a younger age.

Eye exams are crucial for diagnosing cataracts and determining the most effective treatment options.

How Do Regular Eye Exams Help?

Regular eye exams allow us to routinely screen for eye conditions that you may be at risk for. As many of these conditions develop without noticeable symptoms, eye exams are the most effective way to catch early signs before your vision is impacted.

Additionally, eye exams sometimes detect early-onset diabetes in people who have not yet been diagnosed. Because optometrists can see the blood vessels inside your eyes, they are often among the first healthcare practitioners to visually notice the effects of systemic health concerns like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.

For this reason, we recommend that everyone have routine comprehensive eye exams, regardless of whether or not they have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Protect the health of your eyes and maintain your quality of life by booking your next eye exam at Bronte Village Eye Care today. We’re more than happy to help safeguard your vision.

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