Millions of Americans have eye diseases like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. However, many people don’t realize that anything is wrong until a comprehensive eye exam reveals it. That’s because eye diseases tend to develop slowly and show few noticeable symptoms, making them hard to detect.
Advances in diagnostic equipment are changing that. At Eye Surgeons Associates, which serves patients in Canton, Livonia, and Monroe, Michigan, our team of ophthalmologists uses retinal imaging to detect and treat eye diseases early. Read on to learn what retinal imaging is, the eye conditions it can detect, and how it can protect your vision and ocular health.
Retinal imaging is a quick, outpatient procedure that uses a camera and specialized lenses to view the retina and other structures at the back of your eyes. The retina is a sensitive layer of tissue that captures light and converts it into neural signals. These signals travel through the optic nerve to the brain, where they’re interpreted as vision.
Before the invention of retinal imaging, detecting eye diseases was challenging. Damage or changes to the retina often happen slowly, and when they do, they rarely cause pain or other warning signs. As a result, many people wouldn’t realize anything was wrong until they experienced vision changes or vision loss.
Retinal imaging allows us to detect and diagnose some of the most common eye diseases, including:
Retinal imaging is completely noninvasive and usually takes about five minutes. Before screening your eyes, we administer special eyedrops that dilate (widen) your pupils. This lets us see all the structures at the back of your eyes and detect subtle changes. Prompt diagnosis allows us to treat eye disease more effectively and reduce the risk of complications, like vision loss.
Retinal imaging not only helps us catch eye disease early, but it can also detect other health conditions you may not be aware of. For example, high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes often affect the retina before causing other symptoms.
Retinal imaging also allows us to track changes digitally over time, keeping your eye health record up to date so we can adjust your treatment plan as necessary.
If you’re concerned about diabetic eye disease or other retinal issues, call your nearest Eye Surgeons Associates office to request an appointment. After your retinal imaging scan, we can assess your risk and provide custom treatment recommendations.
