A study in Diabetes Care showed an “alarmingly low” frequency of eye exam visits among diabetes patients in the US, with 63.5% and 50.9% of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and diabetic retinopathy meeting the American Diabetes Association’s recommendations for annual or biennial eye examinations, respectively, compared with 26.3% and 15.3% of those without DR, respectively. Researchers also found that 24.4% of type 2 diabetes patients and 54.0% of type 1 diabetes patients who had an eye exam over five years were diagnosed with DR.
Every year, like clockwork. Checked by the awesome eye surgeon who did my two cataract surgeries a few years back, giving me 20/20 in both eyes. Every other year, the exam includes photographing the retina–I forget the name of the exam.
I go every 6 months to 2 different eye doctors. One specializes in cornea, the other in Ophthalmology. I suggest all diabetics go to an ophthalmology specialist at least once a year for a checkup.
The poll needs an option for multiple times a year, which is likely the case for any of us with retina issues. I go somewhere from every 1.5 to every 4 months to my retina specialist, depending on how things are going. I might have avoided some of my retina issues had I not skipped annual eye exams for about 4 years in grad school, so I can’t recommend going at least every year enough.
I have what the doctor calls a mole on my right cornea. It hasn’t changed in 2 years but we keep a close eye on things because of the retinopathy and the fact that my vision changes every year. Oh and the floaters and dry eye. I still have my sight so I am very blessed.
I hate my floaters. They started by the time I was about 9 or 10 years old, in one eye. By the time I was in high school they made it hard to see when looking down at my schoolwork. They would float down to my central vision, making a cloudy mess of what I was trying to see, such as test questions. It got so bad over the years that about 15 years ago I went to a retinal specialist who said he could do a vitrectomy but said it wasn’t something to be done lightly. I read up on the procedure extensively and decided I’d live with the floaters instead of do the risky procedure.
I have an appt every 6 months. He checks my retina and back of the eye tissues. I had a cyst on the cornea with his care has healed well. And, slow growing cateracts. I also take special vitamins for the eyes. Before diabetes it was once a year.
I held this hope, too, and I think it’s a reasonable one. I’m glad I kept up with my annual eye checks, however. Last summer my opthalmologist detected something called epi-retinal membrane, an undesirable change to the retina. It’s the first time in 35 years that the eye doctor reported anything out of the ordinary to me.
That led to a six-month follow-up appointment and another dilated eye exam yesterday. The doctor said that the epi-retinal membrane does slightly obscure my vision in my left eye but that degradation is barely perceptible. He thinks we need to keep monitoring but he doesn’t see it as threat to my continued good vision. He also said that this condition affects people without diabetes at the same rate as people with diabetes. In other words, diabetes did not likely play a role.
Once a year and she always tells me my eyes are beautiful and in great shape. I put on my glasses and tell her she is gorgeous and we both go on our separate ways for another year.
