Diabetic Eye Exams in Titusville The Checkup Your Doctor Keeps Asking About.

Has your doctor asked for your yearly diabetic eye exam?

You were just told you have type 2 diabetes, the paperwork says "dilated eye exam," and you are not sure what that means or who does it. Or you have had diabetes for years, you have been putting the eye exam off, and your A1C has not been where you want it. Or your primary care office keeps asking for the eye report and you would like that handled.

A good many of the diabetic exams we do end with good news and a report on its way to your doctor. When we do find early changes, early is the point, because there is time to act, and most of the action is the blood sugar work you are already doing. Come on in and let us handle the eye part.

What is a diabetic eye exam?

A diabetic eye exam is a comprehensive eye exam with your pupils dilated so we can see the whole retina, plus a wide-field photo and, when we need it, an OCT scan, all to check for the blood vessel damage diabetes causes. It also covers everything a regular exam does: your glasses or contact lens prescription, your eye pressure, and the front of the eye.

Dilation is the part people ask about. The drops open your pupils so we can look at the retina all the way to its edges, where early changes often start. They take a little while to work, so plan on a longer visit than a glasses-only exam, and your near vision stays blurry and light-sensitive for a few hours afterward. Bring sunglasses, and if driving with dilated eyes does not sit right with you, bring a driver.

Every diabetic eye exam covers:

• The retina and its blood vessels, seen directly through dilated pupils
• An Optomap wide-field photo of the retina, kept year to year for comparison
• An OCT scan of the macula when swelling needs measuring
• Your eye pressure and optic nerve, since diabetes raises the odds of glaucoma
• Your prescription, and whether a blood sugar swing is moving it

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the tiny blood vessels in the retina from years of high blood sugar. The vessels weaken and leak fluid or bleed, and in later stages new, fragile vessels grow where they should not. It is the eye problem diabetes causes most often, and early on it has no symptoms at all, which is why the exam is yearly whether or not your vision feels fine.

The part that most often gets in the way of reading is swelling in the macula, the center of the retina. The OCT scan measures that swelling in seconds, and it is how we and the retina specialist decide whether it needs treatment. The longer you have had diabetes and the higher your sugar and blood pressure run, the more likely retinopathy is. The better you hold them, the slower it moves.

When retinopathy reaches a stage that needs treatment, a retina specialist uses laser or injections to stop the leaking. We do not do those procedures here. We refer you, send the images along, and keep doing your yearly exams and everything else your eyes need.

What happens after the exam?

After the exam we go over the pictures with you on the screen and say whether we saw any retinopathy and, if so, how far along it is. We can send a report to your primary care doctor or your endocrinologist so it lands in your chart, which is what most of them want once a year. Bring the name of the doctor who asked for it, and the fax number if you have it, and we will do the rest.

If your retina is healthy, we see you again in a year. If we found changes, the return visit is set by what we saw, sometimes a few months out, and you will hear exactly why. Either way you walk out knowing what we found and when we want you back.

Who does diabetic eye exams at Aker Eye, and where?

All four of our doctors do diabetic eye exams, at both offices. Dr. Amanda Aker's residency at the Illinois College of Optometry was a year of primary care and ocular disease that included diabetic eye disease, and she practices beside her father, Dr. Greg Aker, at our Downtown office, 338 S Washington Ave, upstairs by the elevator. Dr. Greg Aker has looked after Titusville eyes for more than 40 years and belongs to the Optometric Retina Society.

Dr. Sarah Koehnemann, residency trained in ocular disease, and Dr. Jennifer Bradley see patients at our Playalinda office, 1114 S Washington Ave, all on one floor. The Optomap and the OCT are part of the exam at either office, so pick the one closer to home and we will take it from there.

Does insurance cover a diabetic eye exam?

Usually, yes. Because you have diabetes, the exam is a medical visit, billed to your medical insurance, including Medicare, rather than to a vision plan, and your medical copay applies. If you also want new glasses, the refraction for the prescription may go to vision coverage instead, or be paid separately. Call us at (321) 269-2021 with your plan name and we will check your benefits before you come in.