Diabetic Eye Exams in Maple Ridge

Diabetic retinopathy is a progressive disease that can affect anyone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. You may not notice anything is wrong until you experience severe vision loss.

In the early stages of this disease, blood vessels in the retina are more likely to leak and hemorrhage. 

Over time, new blood vessels form to compensate for the reduced blood flow (neovascularization) but unfortunately these new blood vessels are even more fragile. 

They will also hemorrhage, resulting in scar tissue formation and ultimately, severe vision loss. Your optometrist will monitor for this.

Diabetic macular edema is a complication of diabetic retinopathy. This condition occurs when there is ongoing damage to the blood vessels within the eye, causing swelling of the macula. This swelling can eventually lead to vision loss.

Fundus photography is a noninvasive technology used to record images of the interior of your eye. We may dilate your eyes to help see more of your eye with this low-power microscope.

Fundus photography allows us to examine your optic disc, retina, retinal blood vessels, macula, and lens for potential problems.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology, such as the iVue, allows our team to scan and capture cross-sectional images of your retina. High-frequency light rays scan the retina, creating detailed images of its different layers. These images can help us identify and monitor the progress of different conditions, including diabetes-related eye diseases.

A slit lamp examination includes using a bright light and microscope to look at your cornea, iris, retina, and optic nerve in detail. We may dilate your eyes to help focus a thin beam of light on your eye. This light allows us to see the internal structures of your eye, helping detect any problems before your vision is affected.