Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that can affect people with diabetes. The main types of diabetic eye disease include:

• Diabetic retinopathy: This is the most common diabetic eye disease, caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina. It can lead to vision loss and blindness if left untreated.
• Diabetic macular oedema: This occurs when fluid builds up in the macula, causing swelling and blurry vision.

It also increases the likelihood of developing other eye diseases such as:

• Glaucoma – approximately 2x risk
• Cataract – 2-5x more likely to develop cataract at a younger age

Diabetic eye disease often develops without early symptoms, making regular comprehensive dilated eye exams crucial for early detection and treatment. The risk of developing these conditions increases the longer a person has diabetes. Proper management of diabetes, including controlling blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, can help prevent or delay the onset of diabetic eye disease. Early detection and treatment are essential in preventing vision loss.

What to expect:

• Comprehensive eye examination
• Dilation drops: Usually tropicamide to enlarge the pupil to ensure peripheral retina is assessed in depth. You will not be able to drive for a few hours after your appointment.
• Fundus Photography:This gives a non-invasive overview of the retina, and it detects various features of diabetic retinopathy such as microaneurysms, haemorrhages, and neovascularisation.
• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): OCT is non-invasive. It provides high-resolution cross-sectional images of the retina, allowing for detailed visualization of retinal layers and detection of structural changes associated with diabetic retinopathy. OCT is particularly valuable in detecting and quantifying macular oedema (fluid accumulation in the macula), which is a common cause of vision loss in diabetic patients.
• Collaboration with GP: Following your appointment, we will write a letter to your GP, advising of any diabetic eye disease signs.

We recommend annual diabetic eye examinations. If there are any problems, we will review more frequently.