Diabetic Eye Exams: A Clearer View of Your Eye Health

Diabetes can affect more than blood sugar. Over time, it can also affect the small blood vessels throughout the body, including those that supply the retina at the back of the eye. Because early diabetic eye disease may develop without noticeable symptoms, regular diabetic eye exams are an important part of protecting your vision.
 

At Erker’s Fine Eyewear in Ladue, we provide diabetic eye exams designed to identify changes inside the eyes and monitor your retinal health over time.
 

How Can Diabetes Affect Your Eyes?

One of the primary eye conditions associated with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. It develops when prolonged high blood sugar damages small blood vessels in the retina. These vessels may leak fluid or blood, become blocked, or eventually trigger the growth of abnormal new blood vessels.
 

Diabetes can also increase the risk of other eye conditions, including cataracts and glaucoma.
 

The challenge is that diabetic retinopathy may not cause obvious symptoms during its early stages. You can have clear everyday vision while changes are already occurring inside the eye. That is why waiting until your vision becomes blurry is not an effective way to monitor diabetic eye health.
 

What Happens During a Diabetic Eye Exam?

A diabetic eye exam focuses closely on the retina and other structures that may be affected by diabetes. At our Ladue practice, we use advanced retinal imaging to help examine and document the back of the eye.
 

During your visit, your eye doctor may evaluate for:
 

• Small retinal hemorrhages or leaking blood vessels

• Swelling involving the retina or macula

• Changes associated with diabetic retinopathy

• Signs of glaucoma or other eye health concerns

• Differences compared with previous retinal examinations
   

Your individual health history and examination findings determine which tests are appropriate.
 

How Does Retinal Imaging Help?

Erker’s Fine Eyewear uses Optos ultra-widefield retinal imaging, which captures a broad digital image of the retina. These images allow us to document retinal findings and compare them during future visits.
 

This ability to track changes over time can be especially useful for Ladue patients with diabetes because subtle differences may become easier to identify when current images can be compared with previous ones.
 

Retinal imaging can provide valuable information without dilation in many situations. However, imaging does not necessarily replace a dilated examination for every patient. Your eye doctor may still recommend dilation depending on your symptoms, medical history, risk factors, or findings during the exam.
 

How Often Do You Need a Diabetic Eye Exam?

The appropriate schedule depends on your type of diabetes, current eye health, previous findings, and recommendations from your healthcare team. Many patients with diabetes need a comprehensive dilated eye examination at least annually, although more frequent monitoring may be necessary when diabetic retinopathy or other concerns are present.
 

Keeping blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol within the ranges recommended by your medical providers can also support long-term eye health. Eye care is one part of a broader diabetes management plan.
 

At Erker’s Fine Eyewear, we can also coordinate findings with your primary care physician or other healthcare providers when appropriate.
 

Do Not Wait for Symptoms

Regular monitoring is important even when you see clearly. If diabetic retinopathy progresses, symptoms may include blurry or fluctuating vision, dark spots, new floaters, or areas of missing vision.
 

Sudden vision loss, a sudden increase in floaters, flashes of light, or a curtain-like shadow across your vision requires urgent evaluation rather than waiting for your next routine diabetic eye exam.
 

If you have diabetes and are due for an eye health evaluation, contact Erker’s Fine Eyewear at 9717 Clayton Road, Ladue, MO 63124 by calling (314) 997-0002 for comprehensive diabetic eye care.